All That We Let In
by heyjupiter
Summary: This is a sequel to my story The Hand You're Dealt, and is a VERY loose AU of X-Men 3. Jean Grey returns; but how? And as what? Remy/Logan/OFC. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

STORY SUMMARY: This is a sequel to my story The Hand You're Dealt, and is a VERY loose AU of X-Men 3. Jean Grey returns; but how? And as what? Remy/Logan/OFC.

STORY NOTES: Like I said, this is a sequel to my story The Hand You're Dealt, (which is in turn a sequel to Born at the Right Time.) If for some reason you want to read this but none of the previous stories, well, I won't stop you, but you might find it confusing.

A quick summary of the previous stories if you haven't read them or want a refresher: Born at the Right Time (www . fanfiction. net /s/6812069/1/Born_at_the_Right_Time ) takes place pre-X1 through the events of X2, and is basically an AU telling of those two movies where Gambit and my original character, Nori/Echo (Yuriko Oyama's sister), are members of the Brotherhood.

The Hand You're Dealt (www . fanfiction . net /s/6896328/1/The_Hand_Youre_Dealt ) features Remy and Nori getting kidnapped by the Friends of Humanity & saved by the X-Men. They recover from their injuries, join the X-Men, have some adventures, and start having a three-way relationship with Logan. (Like you do.)

These stories draw on the events of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the first two X-Men movies, but not The Last Stand. I also pulled in pieces of Gambit's comics backstory, but not some of the weirder stuff. If you don't know comics, no worries.

Much like all the stories in this verse, this story is pretty shameless in its pursuit of hurt/comfort. Grad school is stressful, I just want to write thousands of words about cuddling and threesomes with Remy and Logan, okay?

Rated M for sexy times (between consenting adults. Three of them.).

COPYRIGHT NOTES: Like, duh, the X-Men and the Brotherhood all belong to Marvel and Fox. And Stan Lee. The title "All That We Let In" is stolen from, I mean, in homage to, the Indigo Girls song of the same name.

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><p>Chapter 1 (Logan)<p>

"Did you get the hostages?" I ask. Blood is rushing through my veins. Nothing gets me more excited than a good fight, even if it's simulated.

"Easy, _mon ami_, they're fine," Gambit drawls. He's wearing that brown leather duster of his, though it's far from the most practical item of clothing for fighting. It looks good on him, and he knows it. "Did _you_ take care of the FOH?"

I snort. "You see any of them?" Just then, a flash of motion catches my eye. I'm actually at a disadvantage in the Danger Room compared to fighting real people—sims don't have a smell. If there had been a real person hiding behind that debris, I would've smelled him. As it was, I still had plenty of time to stroll over and knock him out with a brutal punch. "All right," I say, "Do you see any of 'em now?"

He smirks. The room flickers and turns silver and empty. "Simulation competed," a soft female voice says. I've always wondered why Cerebro and the Danger Room have women's voices. Maybe I'm not the only one to get a little turned on by violence. Hell, I know I'm not—I can smell it on Remy. He always smells unbelievably good, but now, sweaty and aroused, it's almost unbearable.

"Well," Remy says, "Much as I enjoy the Danger Room, I do believe I will be on my way." He raises an eyebrow at me in invitation, and I follow him upstairs. There are locker rooms downstairs with showers, but sometimes a little privacy is called for, so we go to the shower in Remy and Nori's room. I guess it's partly my room, too, given how often I've slept there over the last six months, but I always think of it as their room. I still have my own room. I'll probably always want my own room. I can barely believe I'm sharing a house with so many people, let alone sharing a room with two. I won't say I don't like sharing a bed with them, though. Or a shower.

Remy and I clean each other off and relieve a little tension, jacking each other off in the shower. As far as I remember, I've never been attracted to men before, but I'm happy to make an exception for Remy. I'm not sure there's anyone out there, man, woman, or otherwise, who _isn't_ attracted to Remy. His pheromones are ridiculously powerful, and I am more susceptible to them than most. Must be part of his mutation, or maybe he'd be like this even if he weren't a mutant. No way to tell, and I don't much care. I groan and come against Remy's skilled hand. He smiles down at me, and I growl and shove him against the wall of the shower, covering that smug mouth with my own.

Remy's definitely been with men before. He likes it, likes that I'm rougher with him than little Nori is or could ever be. They say variety is the spice of life, and I'll buy that.

When we're both clean and sated, we step out of the shower and dress. It's just about lunchtime, so we head down to the dining hall. Hungry after my morning's endeavors, I grab two cheeseburgers and sit down next to Nori, who has an enormous salad in front of her. My vegetarian girl has never said a word to me about eating meat—she knows my protein needs are different from hers—but I can pick up a glimmer of revulsion from her empathy. Still, she gives me a wide smile and says, "So, how was the DR? Is the mansion safe from simulated combatants?"

I snort and Remy, across from me, says, "It most certainly is."

"Well, thank God for that," she replies. Her tone is a little teasing, but her obvious fondness for Remy overpowers any sting.

"How was your morning?" he asks.

"Not bad. Had music class. I spent like ten minutes flipping out when I realized none of them knew who Woody Guthrie was. But now they know!"

I have to laugh at that. In our class, Remy and I "flip out" (as Nori would say) when the kids don't know how to block punches. Guess Xavier's provides a balanced education.

I'm not sure if she actually overheard my thought or just guessed, but she smiles and says, "So, what's on _your_ agenda this afternoon?"

"Working with the trainees on hostage situations."

"Oh," she says. "How to save them, or how to take them?"

Remy glances at me and smirks. "Hey, maybe we _should_ put together a scenario on how to take hostages."

"You never know when it'll come in handy," Nori says lightly.

I shake my head. "Let's work on the rescue missions first."

"Yeah. I guess that's good," Nori says. She has a slightly wistful expression. I know she still has regrets about being grounded from the X-Men. After all her injuries, she still wants to help people. But I think it's for the best, and I'm thankful that Hank and Scott were so adamant about it. If they weren't, I think I would have tried to talk them into it.

I just don't like the idea of Nori fighting on the team. It isn't just that weird things happen to her powers when she gets hit in the head, and it isn't just because she's small. Kitty Pryde's about her size, and I think she'll be fine on the team one of these days. And it isn't because she's a woman—there are few people I'd rather have at my back than Storm. It's just something about her personality. She's so sensitive and gets so upset by violence. I know she likes the idea of using her powers to help people, but it would come at such a high personal cost to her. Better she use her talents here at the school and let other people handle the fighting. People like me and Remy, people who actually kind of enjoy the rush of fighting, whatever that says about us.

This isn't to say that I don't take the task of training the students in defense and combat seriously. I do. I know what they're up against, what we're up against. The thought of any of them getting killed by some ignorant human with a gun burns me up, and I'm doing everything I can to keep them alive. Better they walk around the school with sore muscles and muttered complaints about how mean me and Remy are than for them to stop walking around entirely.

The afternoon's scenario with the students goes all right. They lose two hostages and Siryn takes a few virtual bullets. But still, could have been worse. I tell them that when we debrief in the Sit Room.

"I thought we did pretty good," drawls Cannonball.

"Tell that to Siryn," I say, and he blushes.

Gambit says, "You're right, Cannonball, y'did pretty good. But 'pretty good' ain't always enough, _non_? That is why we practice, so you will all become extremely good." He grins. Gambit is definitely the "good cop" here, and that's fine. The kids need encouragement, but they also need somebody to remind them that this shit is serious. He and I make a good team. Though, if the kids really need to be reminded how serious things are, they just need to look around the school, at the bereaved Scott or the PTSD-stricken Nori. After a few more minutes of discussion, we let the kids go shower up.

Remy and I go upstairs and find Nori on the couch in her bedroom. She's wrapped up in a blanket with sleeves, which the kids had given her for Christmas this year, and reading a copy of _Bitch _magazine.

I raise my eyebrows at that. "You getting some good tips from that magazine, darlin'?"

She smiles up at me and reads aloud, "'In rock music, there tends to be two types of women granted the stage: tough girls and nice girls. Tough girls—Polly Jean Harvey, Patti Smith—get respect, albeit grudgingly, because they display traits we honor in men: They're confrontational, direct, balls-out. Nice girls—Dusty Springfield, Sarah McLachlan—are admired for displaying the compliance and sweetness we associate with femininity. Of course, it's a false dichotomy: No one is purely nice or purely strong.' Remember that, Logan. It's a false dichotomy."

What the hell? I wonder. Nori always keeps me on my toes. I shrug and say. "How could I forget?"

"Good." She puts the magazine down and I sit next to her for a quick kiss. Which ends up being not terribly quick. Her mouth is always so soft and yielding.

Finally, I pull away and look at Remy, who's sitting on the bed watching us. "Such a sweet girl," I murmur.

Nori smiles, and Remy says, "I agree completely."

She shrugs out of her blanket and gives Remy a kiss to even things out before we go down to dinner. We eat and watch a little TV with the students before going up to bed early.

I still can't believe how much I enjoy sex with Nori and Remy. I'd thought about threesomes before, sure, but it had never really been one of my top fantasies. But something about our dynamic just works. Out of bed, Nori pretty much has Remy and I wrapped around her finger. She knows it, but she doesn't abuse her power the way some women would. In bed, Nori has a submissive streak that Remy and I have a lot of fun with. There's nothing quite like a pretty woman looking up at you with wide eyes and begging for your cock. Sometimes we play with handcuffs or ropes, which are unnecessary—she could easily undo them with her telekinesis, and if I really wanted to hold her to the bed I'd be better off using my hands. But they're fun, and not a little arousing. Of course, the whole thing only works because Nori knows we'd never in a hundred years really hurt her.

Tonight, we keep it fairly simple. No props, just the three of us panting and writhing together. It might sound sappy, but I truly think my favorite part of being with them is simply sleeping together and waking up together. All three of us have had our share of nightmares, and it's nice to have someone there to pet me and bring me back to the present. Too, I enjoy the opportunity to comfort them when they have nightmares, to know that I can do something to help repair these people who have been broken the way I have been broken.

And even without sex, without nightmares—I like the intimacy of waking up with them, seeing them first thing in the morning. I like knowing that there are people who care whether I live or die. I'm reflecting on all that when Nori curls up and throws one arm over me. I move a little bit and feel her pressing against my back. I'm a lucky man, and I know it.

The next morning, Remy and I work out together like usual. We have the afternoon free, since it's a day off of training for the kids. We decide to go see what Nori's up to. Being the music teacher (and de facto college guidance counselor) takes more prep work than me and Remy's job. Our work doesn't take too much time to plan, though Remy did actually read the _Core Concepts in Physical Fitness and Wellness_ textbook Scott gave us. My copy is still untouched in one of my desk drawers. I figured if there's anything useful in it, Remy'd tell me.

We stop outside her office. I sniff the air and determine that she's alone in there, so we walk in without knocking. She's sitting cross-legged at her desk, headphones on. She's tapping out a rhythm on her desk and she doesn't look up from it when she telepathically greets us. _Hey, boys_._ Hang on a minute_.

We sit down on her office sofa and watch her. Her look of concentration is endearing. If my attraction to Remy is surprising, my attraction to Nori is not. She's definitely my type, and as far back as I can remember, I've been pretty consistent in that area. A psychologist would probably have something to say about my affinity for these delicate, gentle women, but I'm not anxious to ask Chuck about it. Or maybe it just comes down to another saying: opposites attract.

Finally, Nori stops tapping, takes off her headphones, and looks over at us.

"Bored?" she asks.

"Terribly lonely, _cherie_," Remy says.

"It's been like two hours since I saw you at lunch."

"Two very long hours," he says melodramatically.

She laughs. "Well, you know you're welcome to hang out in my office."

"You sure? We'd hate to interrupt your desk-tapping time."

"Interrupt away. I mean, you guys, if any of my college music professors knew I was creating a capella arrangements of a Ke$ha song… well… just, please don't tell them."

"I promise you, your secret is safe with us," Remy replies.

"Excellent."

"Is Kesha a person?" I ask. I've gotten a little better at knowing pop culture shit after spending close to two years now living at a high school, but it's really not my strong suit.

"Kind of," Nori says, her eyes dancing. "No, that's mean, she's definitely a person. She's a pop singer... but she can barely sing. Her songs are super catchy but hilariously awful."

"If her songs are so awful, why are you arranging them?"

"I'm arranging _one_, because the kids voted and picked it. And, to a certain extent anyway, it doesn't really matter what you sing. If you sing it well, and practice it, you'll get better at singing. And they practice more if it's a song they like. And it does have kind of a tricky rhythm, so props to Ke$ha for that. And this song doesn't have any lyrics about brushing your teeth with whiskey, which is just a poor dental practice."

"Oh? What are you supposed to use, then?" Remy asks.

She rolls her eyes and laughs. Her soft black hair is twisted up with a pencil, and she pulls out the pencil and shakes her head. She puts the pencil away and puts some lotion on her hands. It smells of hemp—not my favorite, but better than that heavy, flowery shit most women wear. She rubs it carefully into her fingers. Nori has soft skin everywhere except her hardworn hands. Finally, her grooming needs met, she rises from the desk and squeezes in between me and Remy on the couch.

"You're both so warm!" she says. I reach out and take her left hand, which feels freezing.

"Cold hands, warm heart," I say, and frown. It sounds more like something Remy would say. Guess the Cajun's rubbing off on me. She smiles up at me.

"February is the worst month," Nori sighs.

"At least it's short," Remy says.

I don't really mind the cold myself. And, I'll admit, I like it when Nori snuggles against me for warmth. She's squirming against me now, but I realize belatedly she's trying to get her phone out of the pocket of her jeans. She glances at the screen and answers with a smile.

"Hi, Aiko," she says, her voice warm for her beloved niece. Her smile fades as she says, "What? Honey, what's wrong?" I can hear crying from the phone.

I look at Nori, but she's staring at the floor with a look of concentration on her face. I glance at Remy. He's squeezing her knee. I decide to just keep holding her hand and wait until we hear more.

NOTE: The _Bitch_ magazine article Nori quotes is "Birth of the Uncool: In defense of the Tori Amos fan" by Sady Doyle from the spring 2011 issue.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 (Nori)

"Aiko, take a deep breath. It'll be okay, whatever it is. What's _wrong_?" I ask. It breaks my heart to hear my poor motherless niece crying. I'm glad I'm here, tucked between the men I love, to hear whatever it is she has to tell me. What is it? Is Ken dead? Is he hurt? Is she hurt? Is she at the hospital? Whoa, breathe, Nori, she's twelve, it's probably some kid at school being mean to her.

Finally, Aiko speaks up. "Auntie, I… I think I'm a mutant."

"Well, yeah, sweetie. Remember, Dr. Reyes tested you for the X-gene? Is that what's wrong? Did your power manifest?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well, that's great! I mean, I thought you wanted to be a mutant. Like me. Like your mom."

She's breathing more regularly and she says, "Yeah. Yeah. But it's kind of scary."

"Of course. It's a new feeling. But I promise, you'll get used to it. It'll get better. Um—so, what's your power?"

"I don't know, Auntie… but I'm just, I feel things that aren't my feelings!"

"Well." I can relate to that, for sure. "I'm sure that is scary. But, Aiko, it'll be okay. I can help you. Professor Xavier can help you, and you can learn how to control it."

Aiko sniffs. "I wanted something cool, like flying."

"I know, right? Me too. But this is good, honey." I'd been half-afraid she'd end up with something uncontrollable, like Rogue, or even with a healing factor like her mother, or like Logan. Even though Stryker was dead, it just didn't seem like a great idea to have one. "How long ago did it start?"

"Just—today."

"What happened?"

"It was—it was auditions for the spring play, and—well, I was kind of nervous, and I guess everyone was nervous, and—and—I just freaked out."

"Oh, how awful. I'm sorry, love. Was—did anything—happen?"

"I—I mean, I didn't audition. I think—everyone just thought I was scared."

"Okay. Well, don't you worry about that right now. Everything will be fine."

"If you say so."

"I _do_ say so. Do you want to come here, to Xavier's? I'll come get you right now."

Remy squeezes my knee at that. I reach out and telepathically clue him and Logan in. _It's Aiko. She thinks her power's manifesting. She's okay, though._

_I'll come with you,_ Remy immediately thinks back.

_Me too_, Logan says.

I smile at them. They are so protective. I know there was a time in my life when I would have bristled at that, would have insisted that I could go by myself. But I love them for it. And truth be told, after the things that have happened to me, I don't really want to go anywhere by myself.

_I kind of figured you would,_ I respond, smiling at them. On the phone, Aiko says, "Y-yeah, can you come?"

"Of course, sweetie. Can you put your dad on the phone for a second?"

"Uh, Auntie… I… I kind of haven't told him…" she admits.

"Oh, sweetie, you should tell him. You know he loves you. He'll love you no matter what. He loved your mom to pieces and she was a mutant."

"Will you tell him? For me?"

I admit it—I feel a tiny swell of satisfaction that she trusts me more than she trusts her father. But I bite it down and say, carefully, "Sweetie, I'd be happy to talk to your father if you're sure that's what you want. But before I do, really think about it, about what it will mean to him to hear it from me, instead of from you."

She sighs. "What if… what if you just come here, and we could tell him together? In person?"

"All right. We'll be there as soon as we can, okay? Four, maybe five hours. Okay?"

"Okay," she says in a small voice. "I love you, Auntie."

"Love you too, Aiko, love you always. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Call if you need anything else. I'll see you soon. Okay?"

"Okay. Bye." She hangs up and I stare at my phone for a moment. It sounds like it really could be worse. She's not physically hurt, and it doesn't even sound like anyone at school found out she's a mutant. But still—she's my sister's only child and she's in emotional pain, if not physical. I close my eyes and reach out for Professor Xavier. Telepathically, I tell him everything Aiko's told me.

_Of course, Nori, go to your niece. I trust you'll bring Remy with you?_

_Yeah._

_Do you want to take the jet?_

_That seems unnecessary. It's only a four hour drive, and it's not an emergency. _

_All right._

_We'll probably stay the night there, I'm not sure. We'll call when we get there._

_Thank you, Nori. Let me know if we can provide any assistance. And, of course, we would be happy to take Aiko as a student._

_Thank you, Professor, for everything_.

I open my eyes and say, "Well, let's go to Boston, I guess." I shut down my laptop and head upstairs to pack a bag. Remy and Logan follow me into our room.

"Do you want me to come, darlin'?" Logan asks. I hesitate.

"I mean, I would love for you to come, but—but it might be better if you stayed. It's already going to be kind of tense, I think—and—"

"And I ain't the best at making new friends," Logan supplies.

"Well, that, and Ken is kind of jackass. And Aiko's freaked out, and she doesn't really know you yet…"

"I get it," he says gruffly. I twist my lips sadly and hug him. Poor Logan. I don't want to hurt his feelings, but I'd rather hurt him than hurt Aiko.

"We'll be back before you know it," I say, keeping my tone bright. I pull his face down for a kiss. I smile at him and zip up my backpack. "You ready, love?" I ask Remy.

"Whenever you are, _cher_." Honestly, I've been living with the man for most of five years now. You'd think I'd gain some kind of immunity to that silky voice of his. But so far, nope. I'm so thankful he's decided to use his powers for good, because I'm pretty sure that if he asked me I'd be in the Thieves Guild before he could wink a single scarlet eye at me. Remy kisses Logan goodbye. We pull on our coats and Logan walks us out to the garage. I give him one last hug.

"We'll probably be back tomorrow," I say. "Love you."

He kisses my forehead and says, "Take care." I slide into the passenger seat of the car Xavier had given me and Remy as a wedding present. It has heated seats. This car is nicer than my last apartment. It makes me a little uncomfortable, honestly. But Remy loves it, and he's always the one who drives. And if my biggest problem in life is having too nice of a car, well, I can handle that. (Though, of course, it's rarely my biggest problem.)

We make it to Somerville in record time and ring the doorbell. We shiver on the doorstep for a few minutes before Aiko opens the door and throws herself at me. Unfortunately, she's five inches taller than me so I can't give her quite the hug I'd like to. It's enough, I guess. Finally she pries herself away from me and gives her Uncle Remy a hug.

"Hey, _petite_," he says. "Good to see you. Think you might let us inside? Kinda cold out."

"Oh! Yeah, come in," Aiko says. "And I'm not petite. I'm average height."

"Rub it in, why don't you?" I ask, gratefully stepping into the warm house.

In Japanese, Ken calls, "_Aiko, who is at the door?"_

"_Come see,"_ she says, and my brother-in-law, wearing sweatpants, a white Oxford shirt, and a plaid bathrobe, trundles into the living room.

"Ah. Noriko, Remy, how lovely to see you," he says in a tone that conveys the opposite. It also tells me that Aiko hasn't told him anything. I shoot her a glare and she shrugs.

"Well, we were in the neighborhood and thought we'd drop by," I say.

"It's a school night, and I have to be at work early," Ken says.

"Well, you know, there's always time for family," I reply, again glancing at Aiko. She's not throwing me any ropes here. "Uh… can we talk to Aiko for a minute? Alone?"

In Japanese, Aiko says, "_I need to talk to Aunt Nori about… girl stuff._" Girl stuff? Dammit, Aiko, now I have to leave Remy alone with Ken. Well—thank God we didn't bring Logan, I guess.

Telepathically, I apologize to Remy. He smiles reassuringly. _You are the best_, I think to him.

_I know_, he replies. God, I love that cocky bastard.

I follow Aiko up to her room, leaving my serene husband and my supremely irritated brother-in-law in the living room.

"Aiko, what's wrong?" I ask. "You know your dad will love you no matter what. Wait, or is there actual girl stuff?"

"No, just… the mutant thing."

"Okay. Well, I don't get why you're afraid to tell him, honey. Your dad married your mom, and he knew she was a mutant. Are you scared of coming to Xavier's? Because you don't have to. You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to go."

"No! Xavier's is cool. I want to go there."

"All right, so…"

Aiko cries a little. "I don't know!"

I hug her. "Fair enough. What does it feel like? Can you feel everyone's emotions?"

She nods.

"Okay. Don't worry. You can learn how to control it, I promise. Do you want me to help you put up a shield?" Why didn't I offer sooner? I guess I'm still not thinking of her as a mutant.

"You can do that?"

"Yeah. Here. This might feel a little weird." I take her hand and cautiously enter her mind. I show her how to shield, like Xavier had once shown me. She calms down immediately.

"That was cool, Auntie. Thanks."

"You're welcome, sweetie. Now, let's go talk to your dad. I promise, I'll be with you."

"Okay, auntie. Okay. Let's go." I take her hand and we head back down to the living room. Ken and Remy are watching CNN in silence.

I clear my throat. "Aiko has something she'd like to say." I hold her hand and give her a meaningful look.

She sighs. "_Ota-san_… I'm a mutant."

Ken blinks. "Well, I know. Are you saying your power, ah, started?"

"Yeah. At school today."

"Are you all right? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

She shrugs and spills out her story. Ken handles it well, I think. He hugs her and tells her that he loves her. Eventually, he looks up at me and says, "Is that why you are here? To take Aiko to your school?"

I blink. "I came because Aiko asked me to come. She's welcome to attend Xavier's, of course. Of course. And I do think that she could benefit from meeting with Professor Xavier, to help her learn how to control her gift. But I certainly didn't come to take her away immediately, not if she doesn't want to, and not if you don't want her to."

Aiko switches to Japanese and says, "_Please, Dad, let me go back with Aunt Nori and Uncle Remy tomorrow. I… I want to learn how to control my power."_

"_Tomorrow? I have to work tomorrow."_

I say, "_She can come back with us tomorrow, and you can come up for the weekend to visit the school and talk to Professor Xavier, figure everything out then."_

"_Yes! Please, Dad?"_

"_You have school tomorrow."_

"_So, I'll go to a different school. Tell the school I'm touring a private school. It'll be true."_

Ken looks at me wearily. "_Are you certain it will be no trouble to take Aiko to the school on such short notice?"_

"_No trouble at all_," I assure him with a smile.

"_Very well, Aiko, you may go with your aunt and uncle tomorrow. Make sure you pack appropriate clothing, and your toothbrush. Now, go be a good girl and get the guest room ready for them."_

"_Yes, Dad," _she says, kissing his cheek and running off.

I smile at Remy. "Aiko's coming back with us tomorrow for a visit."

"That's great," he says warmly. I know he likes Aiko—she's hard not to like, in my admittedly biased opinion. We chat with Ken for a while about the school, and then we head for bed. We decide to leave first thing in the morning, before Ken leaves for work. Remy pouts a little about the early hour, but he'll be fine. I change into my flannel pajamas and snuggle tightly against Remy, fighting off the cold.

In the morning, we drag ourselves out of bed and pack up our small bags. Remy takes Aiko's suitcase out to the car and she says goodbye to Ken. We promise to call as soon as we get to Westchester. We promise to drive safely. We promise to be careful, and finally Ken leaves for work and we hit the road. I flick through the radio stations looking for a good song and I pause when I hear breaking news.

"Harvard University is being evacuated, and all local residents are being urged to steer clear of the Harvard campus. The terrorist group the Brotherhood of Mutants have made threats against Harvard University for its admissions policies, which they say are discriminatory against mutants."

Motherfucker. I look at Remy, whose mouth is tight. We should go try to stop them. But Aiko's with us! We keep listening and soon hear that a fire is starting at Memorial Church. Pyro.

"We have to go, Remy. I can stop him."

"_Cher_—it's dangerous. Let's let the police, the firefighters handle it." Just then his phone rings. I grab it and answer. It's Scott.

"Nori? Where are you?"

"We're in Somerville. We were just about to head back to New York but then we heard the news, about the Brotherhood…."

"Do you—can you go try to stop them? It looks like it's just Pyro."

"Yeah. We can. We—Aiko is with us, she's coming back to the school."

"Well, don't put her in danger."

"Of course not. Of course not. It should be fine. If I can just block his power, then the firefighters can put out the fire and we can be on our way."

"Can I talk to Remy?"

"Fine," I say, and hand over the phone. Them and their X-Men talk. Not that I really miss being on the team.

Remy doesn't say much to Scott, just terse agreements. He hangs up and turns the car around. When we get to the Harvard area, everything is blocked off. Remy and I confer for a moment and we decide to park the car as close as we can and then I try to focus my power on Pyro. I can sense him, but I'm really too far away to effectively block his power.

"Remy… I can't do it from here. I have to get closer." He sighs, and I say, "Maybe—I should go, and you stay here with Aiko?"

"Absolutely not," he says immediately. I shrug.

"All right, well… okay, well…. I can get the police to let us past the barriers, and I can shield all of us."

"We should just wait for the X-Men to come. Scott said they were leaving immediately in the Blackbird."

"The longer we wait, the more of this school is going to burn." I turn around and look at Aiko. She looks interested, but not terrified. "Goddammit, let's just go, Remy. I'll shield us, and the firefighters will put out the fire. It shouldn't be that hard."

"_Cher_, you sure about this?"

"Yeah. Let's." We both turn to look at Aiko, and I say, "Aiko… this is dangerous. You have to be careful and listen to anything we tell you, and if we tell you to run away, you run away. Okay?"

"Uh, okay."

"Good. I love you. Let's go."

We step outside and shiver. I pull my fuzzy white hat a little tighter on my head, and for the first time I really understand the black leather outfits. I felt a least a tiny bit intimidating when I wore mine. In my winter clothes, I definitely do not feel intimidating. Whatever. I pull a tight telekinetic shield over each of us and blithely convince a few policemen not to notice us. The air is smoky. I wrap my scarf around my face and tell Aiko to do the same. I don't like this at all.

I reach out with my power and walk in Pyro's direction. I shut down his power and wait. We don't have to wait long before we see him striding toward us, a furious glare on his face. I lift my chin and take a few steps forward, making sure that the shield around Aiko and Remy is tightly in place.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 (Remy)

My heart sinks when I watch Nori watching Pyro. She loved that poor kid like a son. I guess still loves him. He looks older, now. He must be, what, twenty? Twenty-one? And his face is hard. Angry. The withering glare he directs at Nori makes me wince, but she walks right up to him. Pyro's not especially tall, maybe 5'7, but that still puts him a good seven inches above Nori. I hesitate, and decide to linger back with Aiko for now. But I'm keeping a close eye, and I know she has her TK shield up around her-and one around us.

"Pyro, why are you doing this?" she asks. "You're going to hurt people."

"That's kind of the idea," he snaps. "Those people are hurting our people, so I'm hurting them. Or I was." He twists his mouth into a sneer. "Why are you protecting them? You think they'll forgive you? You think you can still sell some CDs, get your shitty career back? You can't."

I want to slap him, hurt him the way he's hurting Nori right now. That kid is such an asshole.

"This isn't about that, Pyro. Please."

I watch his fists clench and wonder if he's going to try to hit her. Instead, he lets out a deep breath and looks behind him. He gives a small nod, and a tall man dressed all in black, including gloves and a ski mask, joins him.

"Hello, Echo," the man says. His voice is unbelievably soothing.

"Um, hi," she says, looking up at him.

"Tell me, Echo, would it be so bad if Pyro burned down this building? I don't think it would."

"Um, I guess not," she says. Her voice sounds dreamy.

"Good, good. Now, why don't you help Pyro? He can't do it without your help."

"Oh. Okay."

Her back is to me, so I can't see her eyes, but it sounds like she's being hypnotized or something. Is her shield still up over us? I reach my hand out in front of me and find that it is. "Nori! Don't listen to him!" I yell.

She turns and glances at me, but the man in black says, "Shh, don't worry about him. Just help Pyro."

_Merde_. I turn to Aiko and say, "You stay here!" She nods, her eyes wide. Then I walk up to Nori-or I try to, but I run into the shield she'd put up. Usually she creates shields to surround people, but this one seems to just be a wall. "Nori! Look at me! Look at Aiko! Stop this!"

The man in black keeps whispering soothingly to her, and she reaches out and takes Pyro's hand. He picks up a manic smile and flicks his lighter. Dammit. "Aiko, I think she is brainwashed or something. You try yelling in Japanese. We have to stop her!"

Pyro shoots flame at the nearest building, a pretty white brick deal which a sign advises me is Boylston Hall. I have no idea what normally happens in Boylston Hall, but I hope it wasn't happening right now. I know brick isn't a particularly flammable building material—Nori must really be boosting his power based on the way the fire is spreading.

Aiko and I both yell and wave. I keep trying to break through the shield, but I can't. Is the guy in black a telepath? Didn't she have a shield up over her mind? Maybe she didn't—she was distracted by Pyro, and trying to telekinetically shield us. Nori's gotten better at using her powers, but she definitely has limits when it comes to multitasking.

Wait, do I have my phone in my pocket? Yes, thank God. I call the school and tell Xavier what's happening. He sounds troubled but tells me that Scott, Logan, and Hank have already left in the Blackbird and are on their way to Boston.

The man in black comes up to me and Aiko. I put myself in front of Aiko and tell her to cover her ears. Thankfully, she obeys without protest. I focus my power and charge some static electricity around myself—Xavier showed me out to do it, to block out telepaths.

"Ah, Gambit," the man says. "You used to have such a good time with the Brotherhood, didn't you?"

"_Oui_," I say. It's true. I did. "But—I'm with Xavier now. It's better this way."

"Is it? Wouldn't you like to come with us? Echo's having such a good time with Pyro."

"No—she—this isn't what she wants."

"Isn't it? Look how happy she is, with Pyro. Come with us."

"Yes..."

"We have to leave soon. You don't want her to get lonely, do you?"

"No."

"Lovely. It's settled, then."

I try to follow the man, but I can't. "Nori still has her shield over us," I say.

"Hmm. Interesting. Wait here. … but I don't suppose you have much choice in that matter, do you?"

"No," I agree. Aiko, still covering her ears, looks up at me as the man walks away.

She takes her hands down and says, "Uncle Remy, what happened?"

"I don't know," I say, a little confused.

Soon, the man in black returns and says, "Ah, yes. Come with us, Gambit. And little Aiko. We'll have such a nice time."

It sounds wonderful. Vaguely, I remember that I had been afraid of this man. Why? He seems perfectly kind.

There are sirens, and SWAT team members, and I dreamily follow the man in black to the helicopter that's waiting.

"Gambit, why don't you do something about those nuisances?" the man in black asks, indicating the SWAT team members. They _are_ in our way, and I reach in my pocket and charge some cards, knocking them back. It feels good, helpful. Aiko and I take seats next to Nori in the back of the helicopter. Pyro pilots and the man in black sits next to us. He takes his ski mask off and I see that his skin is green. It's a nice color. He smiles at all of us and whispers reassurances to us. He tells me I've done a good job. His praise makes me feel warm inside.

Nori keeps looking around the helicopter. I'm not sure what she's looking for. She starts breathing heavily. I think she's having a panic attack. Her breathing gets even faster and she bursts into tears. I hold her hand but I don't know what to do.

Luckily, the man in black comes over and kneels in front of her. "Oh, dear Echo, calm down," he says. "Shh, yes, take a deep breath. Calm down. Breathe. Good girl. Good girl."

She gets her breathing under control and looks at him. "Oh, thank you," she says.

"Shh, you've had a long day. Why don't you just take a little nap?" he suggests.

"Okay," she says sleepily.

"Yes, sleep," he says.

She leans against my shoulder and almost immediately falls asleep. I put my arm around her and the man in black smiles. "Good, Gambit. Keep her comfortable." That sounds like a good job to me, and I settle in. After an hour or so, we land. Nori's still sleeping, and I pick her up. The man in black leads us out and into a red brick farmhouse. The helipad is in a barn with a retractable roof. Pretty clever.

Inside the farmhouse, we're greeted by Magneto. He gives us a cold smile, and frowns when he sees Aiko. He pulls the man in black aside and they have a terse, whispered conversation. I glance around. Aiko shouldn't be here, with Magneto. Should she? What's happening?

A tall, pale man with a red diamond on his forehead enters the room. He gives a predatory smile, and I feel afraid. "Ah, Gambit, so lovely to see you," he says. He walks up to me and strokes Nori's cheek with his thumb.

"Sinister!" I spit out. This isn't right. None of us should be here. I hold Nori a little more tightly and take a step back. She shifts in my arms but doesn't wake up. The man in black turns away from Magneto and smiles at me.

In his soothing voice, he says, "Gambit, Mr. Sinister is a friend. We're all working together. Don't you want to help us?"

"Well… yes," I say. Of course I want to help him.

"Wonderful. We're so glad that you do. You've had a long day. I'll show you to a room where you can relax."

"All right," I say, giving one last glance at Sinister before following the main in black.

He leads us to a room with a double bed and says, "Please, wait here. I'm afraid we didn't count on having little Aiko here—not that we're not thrilled to have her."

We sit quietly and wait. The room has a small bathroom attached. Neither room has windows. The man returns with a folding cot. Pyro's following behind him with an armful of bedding. "Here you go," the man in black says. "Why don't you make up a bed for Aiko? Are you hungry? We'll bring you some dinner soon."

"All right," I agree. It sounds very reasonable. I make up the cot and Aiko sits quietly on it. She hasn't said anything in a long time, and I look at her carefully. "Aiko? How are you, _petite_?" I ask.

She shrugs. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," I admit. She nods and says nothing.

Soon, the man in black comes back carrying a tray. He hands Aiko and I each a bowl of soup, and I ask, "Where are we?"

"Oh, Gambit, does it matter where we are?"

"I guess not."

"You shouldn't worry about things like that." I nod.

He gives Nori a gentle shake and says, "Echo, do wake up. You need to eat dinner." Her eyes flutter open and she sits up. He hands her a bowl of soup and says, "Here, you should eat this. Gambit, Aiko, you must eat as well. You must keep your strength up."

We all eat, and the man nods approvingly. He gives us bread, too, and bottles of water. "Good, good," he says after we eat everything we've been given. "I am so happy you're getting along here. Do any of you require anything else?"

We all shake our heads "no" and he smiles. "Good. Well, then, Echo, please come with me."

I glance at the man in alarm. I want to go with Nori, wherever he's taking her. He smiles at me and says, "Gambit, I need you to stay here and look after Aiko. You can do that, can't you?"

"Yes, of course," I say.

"I promise you, we will take very good care of Echo. You trust me, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Good, good. Then there's no problem, is there?"

"No."

"Good. Now, Echo?" She stands up and follows him. I feel the slightest bit of unease as the door shuts behind them, but I'm not sure why. Aiko and I sit quietly for a long time. Eventually, Aiko lies down and falls asleep. I want to wait up for Nori. Eventually, the man in black returns, carrying Nori in his arms. He looks a little surprised to see me.

"Oh, Gambit, were you waiting up for her? That's precious. But she's just fine, you see. You'd better get some sleep now."

He sets Nori down on the bed. I tuck her in and look up at him. He smiles. "Go to sleep, Gambit. You must be very tired." And suddenly, I'm exhausted. I lie next to Nori and fall asleep immediately.

I lose track of how long we spend at the house. Aiko and I never leave our room. The man in black (though he changes his clothes, I still think of him as the man in black) brings us food and occasionally takes Nori out. She's always asleep when he returns her, and when she's awake I never remember to ask her what it is she does when she's gone. Finally, one day, the man comes to our room and has us put on our coats.

"We're going on a little trip," he says.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"Does it really matter?" he replies. I shake my head "no," and he smiles. We follow him outside and get in the helicopter. Mystique pilots this time. Pyro, Magneto, and the man in black (now wearing black again) all sit back with us. They all seem anxious, and so does Aiko, until the man in black gently suggests that she take a nap. After a few hours, the helicopter sets down in the snow. We're on the frozen shores of a lake. Sinister is already there waiting.

We all get off the helicopter. The man in black gives me Aiko, still sleeping, to hold. He asks me to stay where I am and watch Aiko, which seems perfectly reasonable. Then he leads Nori over to Sinister and he talks to her. I can't hear what he says, but she takes Sinister's hand and her eyes unfocus like they do when she uses her power. I stand quietly and watch. She starts breathing harder and she seems upset, but the man in black whispers something to her and she relaxes. After a while, something starts glowing out over the lake. Sinister smiles. The glowing gets brighter and bigger.

Several things happen very quickly: Nori cries out and collapses into the snow. The glowing stops. A red-headed woman appears on the shore. The man in black smiles at her and starts talking to her. She smiles back. The man in black says, "Gambit, stay here and look after Aiko and Echo, won't you?" I nod, and he says, "You've all been so very helpful." I feel very proud, and it doesn't occur to me to protest when the helicopter leaves without us.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 (Logan)

My memories aren't all intact, but I know for certain I've had some shitty weeks in my however-many years of existence. Still, the last few weeks would probably make my top ten shittiest weeks list. The rage I felt when I saw the footage of Nori in Harvard Yard? In her fuzzy white hat and pastel pink coat, she looked like a lost little girl clinging to Pyro's hand. And the newscasters called her and Remy dangerous mutant terrorists, as if it weren't clear that they were being mind controlled or something. Well—maybe it wouldn't be clear to people who didn't know their faces as well as I do. But even _if_ they had decided to return to the Brotherhood, there is no way Nori would take her twelve-year-old niece with her. But, of course, those newscasters don't know Nori and Remy. They're not prepared to think of two mutants as a kind, loving couple with a sweet little niece they care about very much. Goddammit.

I'd flown out to Boston with Cyke and Beast, but by the time we got there, they were long gone, and their scents were covered with smoke and fuel. I found melted remnants of plastic and metal that once were their cell phones. Apparently, I was taken over by rage when we got there and found the trail dead. There's an hour or so from that day I don't really remember. I guess I should be grateful that I didn't end up on the evening news myself. Since then, I've been living in a constant state of near-rage. I've been spending as much time alone as possible—I know I scared Rogue by snapping at her about something minor when she'd called home from college. I hate that, but I think she understood that it wasn't about her. I hope so. I should call her soon.

The kids are all pretty terrified too. Nori was—is—the closest thing some of those kids have to a mother, and even those who have real mothers are real fond of her. They like Remy, too, although most of the kids aren't as emotionally attached to him. Still—two of their teachers have been on TV, apparently fraternizing with the Brotherhood of Mutants but actually—brainwashed or something. It's not a good state of affairs.

But there's nothing I can really do but wait for Xavier to find my—lovers. And no one here really understands just how important Nori and Remy are to me. They know they're my closest friends, but… God, if they don't come back… well, I know I can survive it. I've survived losses before. But it won't be fun.

I think Xavier probably knows the full extent of our relationship—he spends a lot of time reading Nori's mind. And Scott might have guessed. He's not dumb, and he's seen a few things—Nori sitting on my lap, me leaving Nori and Remy's room at a suspicious hour—that would let him put two and two together, if he chose. But he's never said a word to me about it, which I respect.

Ten days after Nori and Remy went missing, I hear Xavier's mental voice calling me to the Sit Room. Instantly I think back, _Nori and Remy?_

… _I am not sure. Please come to the Situation Room at once._

Not sure? What the hell does that mean? Still, I bring myself in out of the garden and get to the Sit Room as fast as I can—which is pretty fast. I sit anxiously, waiting for the rest of the team to join us.

Finally—I've probably only been sitting there for three minutes, but it feels much longer—Ororo, the last team member, joins us and Xavier says, "As you know, I have been spending much of my time in Cerebro, looking for signs of Nori and Remy. I—am not sure, but I believe… I briefly felt Nori's mental signature. As well as—" he takes a deep breath, and I can smell how frightened and confused he is. "Well—I also sensed Jean's presence."

You could have heard a pin drop in that room, even without my ears. There are a few beats of silence, and then Scott says, "I don't understand."

"I don't think I do, either," Xavier admits.

"You're saying—Jean is alive?" Scott says.

"I… well… perhaps. Or perhaps… there is another, with a mental signature very similar to Jean's? I really—I have never experienced anything like this."

Scott looks lost. I can tell he doesn't want to get his hopes up, but how can he help it?

I ask, "What about Nori? And Remy?"

Xavier shakes his head. "I cannot find Remy, and Nori has disappeared again."

"Well—where was she?"

"She and… the other mind… were both at Alkali Lake."

Every eye in the room is looking at Xavier now. There's another beat of silence, and I say, "Well, let's go to Alkali Lake, then."

"I agree with this course of action," Xavier says. "And I believe I should come along. I… I am not sure what we will find at Alkali Lake, but… my skills may be necessary."

Scott nods. "All right—Professor Xavier, me, Wolverine, Beast, and Storm will go. Nightcrawler, Marrow, Magma, Cecilia—you four stay with the school." Everyone nods, and those of us going head straight for the locker rooms. We quickly suit up. Storm and Cyclops prep the jet for takeoff faster than I've ever seen them do it, and we take off. The flight seems to be impossibly long, and everyone is extremely tense. From the air, we see a huge spot of dark earth where the snow has melted. We set down near there and disembark. I take a deep breath and am overwhelmed by the smells. Nori and Remy are definitely here, and a smell I'd almost forgotten… Jean. Jean was here, but I don't think she is any longer.

I follow my nose and am horrified to find Remy standing in the snow, his face blank and his arms full of an unconscious Aiko. Nori is lying on the half snow, half mud ground next to them. I run and pick her up. Her lips and the skin around her mouth are light blue and she's barely breathing—but she is breathing. I gently shake her. She makes a small sound, but doesn't wake up. Her eyelashes are coated in tiny ice crystals. I tug off one of my gloves and press my hand against her face, warming it.

"Remy?" I ask. "Remy, you in there, buddy?"

He blinks at me. The rest of the X-Men catch up to me and stare. Remy glances at everyone, at Nori in my arms, at Aiko in his arms, and finally back at me.

"Remy? Remy, are you okay?" I ask.

He shrugs. I turn to Hank and say, "He was just standing here when I got here. Nori—she was just lying in the snow. I don't think he even knew she was there. And I think—I think she has hypothermia or something."

Hank looks at her and says, "Oh, my stars and garters. Logan, take her back to the jet, please. And get her out of those wet clothes." I glance back at Remy and nod.

On the jet, I quickly strip her and wrap her in a blanket from the emergency kit. I sit next to Xavier and hold her in my arms, and I use the end of the blanket to wipe mud off her face.

Xavier smiles. "Oh, thank goodness we found her. Is—"

"Remy and Aiko are out there. I… I didn't see Jean. But—I recognized her smell."

Xavier sucks in a breath. "Well… well." He closes his eyes and I know he is looking for her with his mind. He's still searching when Hank, Remy, and Aiko come back on the jet.

"Remy, you can put Aiko down here," Hank says, indicating a row of seats. He does, and then stands there with that same blank look on his face. It's extremely spooky.

"Hey, Cajun, c'mere," I say. He obeys and stands in front of me. "Sit down," I add. I wave my hand in front of his face and he blinks but doesn't otherwise react. "What the hell, Hank?" I ask.

Xavier opens his eyes and says, "Oh my."

"What is it?"

"I—I am not sure. Remy has a significant amount of static electricity around his mind, making it very difficult for me to get a read on him, but—I think perhaps he has been—hypnotized?"

"Hypnotized? That different from telepathy?"

"Yes," Xavier says, though he doesn't clarify.

"And Nori?"

"I cannot determine anything until she wakes up."

"And when do you think that will be?"

He shrugs, helplessly. I look down at Nori and see that her lips are regaining their normal pale pink color. I resist the urge to kiss them. Hank comes over and starts examining Remy. I watch and listen as Hank questions him.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Gambit. Remy."

Hank nods. "Yes. Now, Remy, can you tell me what day it is?"

"February?"

"… well, yes, it is February. Do you know who the President of the United States is?"

"McKenna?"

I'm scared. I'm scared that Remy isn't making smartmouth responses. I'm scared that Remy would just leave his beloved wife to lie in the snow. I'm scared that Nori is still sleeping, and I'm scared of what she'll be like when she wakes up. I'm scared of what might have happened to Jean.

Eventually, Remy starts to snap out of it. He looks at me and says, "Oh. Oh no. Nori. Is she all right?"

I give a little sigh of relief and say, "Think so, Cajun. What—what happened?"

He shakes his head. "It's all—it's all confused. We—Sinister was there—and—Nori was—with him—and—everything glowed red."

Right. Maybe Remy's not back up to 100% yet.

"Sinister?" Hank asks. "We thought you were with Magneto."

"_Oui_, he was there too. And Pyro. And Mystique. And another man… he… that man…" Remy trails off. After a moment, he says, "Oh, _mon Dieu, _what about Aiko?"

"She's here, buddy. She's okay. You took care of her." He finally slumps and cries. "Hey. C'mere." He comes to sit next to me and I take his hand, careful to keep Nori steady. "It's all right, Remy. Everything's going to be all right."

He looks me in the eye and I hold back a shiver. His eyes are flat and fearful. "Is it?" he asks.

"Yeah," I say, though I'm not sure of that at all. It could be worse, for sure. Remy, Nori, and Aiko are all alive, and they're not with Sinister or Magneto.

Xavier tries to examine Remy's mind now that he's a little more lucid. After a few minutes he pulls away, stunned.

"Remy. Is that—you saw a woman appear on the shore?" Xavier asks.

Remy shrugs. "I think so. It was—it was so hard to think… and it was so… bright."

"Was it—Jean?" I ask.

"I believe it—it may have been," Xavier says. "I—I need to talk to Nori, when she is able. She—it looks like Sinister may have—she may have helped him to—well—raise her."

"Huh," I say.

A few minutes later, Storm and Cyclops come traipsing back onto the jet. Cyke's face is twisted with pain, and I don't blame him. It isn't pleasant being back at Alkali. Xavier fills them in on his theory.

"Jean's—back?" Scott asks. "And with—Magneto?"

Xavier sighs. "Perhaps? I think—the best thing to do now would be return to the mansion, where these three can receive proper medical attention. Based on what Remy has told me and shown me, I think Nori may have more information when she wakes up. And perhaps I can try Cerebro again."

Scott collapses into a seat and Storm flies back without a co-pilot. When we get back to the mansion, we make our way to the medbay. Nori's still wrapped in a blanket and asleep. Remy's still out of it, and Hank instructs him to wait on one of the exam tables. He's placed Aiko in a bed. As far as he can tell, nothing's really wrong with her. I bring down flannel pajamas for Nori and wait with Remy for her to awaken. From the sounds of it, she'd completely worn herself out using her power for Sinister. We were all keeping our fingers crossed that that was all that was wrong.

Hank and Cecilia confer and hover. Before too long, Ken and Misaki, Nori's brother-in-law and mother, come to join us. I've met them a few times, at Yuriko's memorial service and at Nori and Remy's wedding, but haven't spoken much to either of them. Now I talk to them in Japanese and tell them that Hank thinks both Nori and Aiko will be fine as soon as they wake up.

Ken is furious that his daughter has been put in such danger. Remy cries and apologizes. His eyes are still flat and frightened, and Misaki pats his hand.

"I am sure you… tried," she says. Remy sobs and nods. After a few hours, Aiko stirs. When she wakes up she's confused, though not quite as bad as Remy had been. She shies away from her father and clings to Remy. Eventually, she calms down and reassures her father that she's okay, that nothing had really happened to her.

"I just sat in that room with Uncle Remy the whole time. The man in black would bring us food. I… I don't know… everything is kind of fuzzy. Is—is Aunt Nori okay?"

"She's still sleepin'," Remy says. "She's over here." He nods toward Nori's bed. Aiko cries, seeing her aunt lying still and pale. Remy absently strokes her hair. Ken looks miserable. Misaki whispers reassurances in Japanese. An hour later, Nori's friend (and Cecilia's girlfriend) Rachael comes stumbling into the medbay. I offer her my chair.

"I been sitting too long anyway," I say. She nods and collapses into the chair.

"Is she-?" she asks.

"Just sleeping, looks like. Cecilia could give you the details better'n me."

Remy looks over at her and Rachael covers her mouth with her hand when she sees his shell-shocked face. She stands up and hugs him. "Remy—I'm so—how are you?"

Remy shrugs. Cecilia pulls her away and whispers to her. Rachael sighs and sits back down.

We all sit and wait for Nori to wake up. Amara brings food down for us. I eat, though no one else does. People doze off, and when Nori finally stirs around five in the morning, Remy and I are the only ones awake.

"Hey, darlin'," I say. She looks at me with flat eyes and says nothing.

"_Cher_?" Remy asks, uncertainly. She bites her lip and stares at the ceiling. I get on the phone and call Hank down. He shows up a few minutes later, clad in a lab coat. I wonder if he slept in it. I wonder if he usually sleeps in it.

He shines a light into Nori's eyes, checks her vitals. He asks her if she knows her name. "Echo," she whispers.

"Yes," Hank says. "People call you Echo. Do you remember what else people call you?"

"_Cher_?" she ventures.

Hank smiles. "Yes, Remy calls you that. Does the name Nori sound familiar?" She nods and Hank says, "Mostly people call you Nori. Do you know what day it is?"

"Something happened."

"Yes… something happened," Hank agrees. "Do you know who the President of the United States is?"

"He's okay."

I glance at Remy, who doesn't seem to have registered how off-kilter her responses are. Next I look to Hank, who shrugs. He brings her a bottle of water and helps her drink it. She looks all around the room. It's unclear how much of what she looks at she's really seeing. She repeats, intensely, "_Something happened._"

"What happened, darlin'?" I ask.

"_Something_."

I would find this conversation hilarious if I weren't so worried. Remy says, "He isn't here anymore, _cher_."

"Who isn't here anymore?" I say.

"The man."

Nori looks relieved and sad. "But where is he?"

"I don't know."

"Where are we?"

"Xavier's."

She nods. I look at Remy, who seems marginally more coherent than Nori. "What man are you talking about?"

"The man in black."

I'm sure he doesn't mean Johnny Cash. "Do you mean Magneto?"

"_No_," Remy says. "The man in black."

"Mesmero," Nori says.

"What?" Remy asks.

"That's what Pyro called him. Mesmero."

"Mesmero?" Hank asks. "Interesting. From the sound of it… I'd say this Mesmero is the one responsible for your… confusion."

"No, he was… or maybe…" Remy says.

"He was what?" I ask.

"A friend?" Remy says hesitantly.

"He don't sound like a friend," I say.

"Something happened," Nori repeats. "And he was there and I was there. She wasn't there but then she was."

"Who?"

"The Phoenix. The Phoenix was there." Abruptly, she bursts into tears. "I want to go home. Where is Aiko? Where is home?"

"Aiko's here," Remy says. "Asleep. Okay. Home is… here."

She shakes her head, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"You're at Xavier's, darlin'. You live here. We live here. But we're in the basement, in the medbay. You usually sleep upstairs." I hand her a tissue and she holds it and looks at it. I pull another one out of the box and gently wipe her face for her.

Xavier appears in the medbay. "Ah, Nori, I am glad to see you're awake. How do you feel?"

"I feel feelings," she says, which actually sounds like something she might say on a normal day. Her empathy is sending out confusion and anxiety, which isn't surprising.

"Nori, would you permit me to examine your memories?"

I'm not sure she can technically give consent right now, but I guess it doesn't matter. I just hope Xavier can find something useful. Still clutching a Kleenex in her left hand, she offers her right to Xavier. He takes it and closes his eyes in concentration. Remy blearily rests his head on my shoulder, and we wait.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 (Nori)

I feel Xavier in my mind and surrender to his familiar mental touch. I trail along behind him and watch the memories he pulls up. I see myself talking to Pyro and listening to Mesmero. There's something blurry about my memory of the day, even though it was only a few weeks ago (I think). Looking at it now, with Xavier, it looks wrong to me. Why did I go with them? I watch the days spent in the Brotherhood's farmhouse, see Mesmero asking me to help strengthen Sinister's power while Magneto watches approvingly. When we get to my memories of yesterday, when Sinister helps me find Jean Grey's mental signature and focus all of my strength on magnifying it, it's too much for me. I shriek and break my connection with Xavier. Dimly, I'm aware that I'm having a panic attack and that I should do something to stop it, but I can't think what. Or am I dying? I can't breathe. Yes, I think I'm dying. Xavier squeezes my hand and soothingly tells me to breathe. He talks me through several breath cycles.

Finally, I calm down and lie still. Logan asks, "Darlin'_, _you all right?"

"I don't know." He gives a throaty laugh at that. "Logan, I miss you," I say.

"You don't have to miss me, darlin', I'm right here."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure," he says, and he takes my other hand.

I smile at him, or at least, I move my lips. Then I close my eyes and rest for a moment. When I open my eyes again, Logan and Xavier are gone. I sit up and look around. My mom and Ken are sitting next to Aiko, sitting up and chatting in bed. Remy's asleep in a chair next to my bed.

Mom notices that I'm up and, delighted, she comes to my bedside and kisses my forehead.

In Japanese, she says, "_Oh, Noriko, oh, I am so glad you are all right."_

I'm not at all sure that I am all right, but I nod and tell her I love her.

She asks me what happened and I feel my chest tighten and my breathing speed up. Oh no, oh no, oh no. I launch into my second panic attack of the day and my dear mother scolds, "_Noriko, you stop this! Stop this! You breathe, girl!"_

The fuss wakes up Remy, who takes my hand but says nothing. My panicked empathic waves soon bring Xavier and Cecilia down to the medbay.

My mom looks guilty and I give her a small smile. "I guess—I guess I just can't—it's hard to talk about—things," I say after I finally catch my breath. "Things that happened."

"You don't have to talk about anything you do not wish to talk about," Xavier soothes.

Cecilia looks thoughtful and leaves the medbay. I sit quietly and try to harness all the mental energy available to me. Remy's still holding my hand. His face looks different. He looks… lost. I can't really blame him. Suddenly, I want out of bed. I carefully climb down and sit on Remy's lap, leaning back against his chest. He tightens his arms around my waist and I feel better, more tethered to the world. We sit together quietly until Cecilia and Hank come down to the medbay.

"Nori, how are you doing?" Hank asks.

I shrug.

He looks into my eyes. "Nori, can you tell me your last name?"

"LeBeau."

He gives me a relieved smile. "Good. And where are we?"

"Basement."

"Excellent. Now. It seems you have been having some… increased anxiety."

"Uh, yeah." Sometimes Hank can be hilariously obtuse.

"I'd like to prescribe some Ativan for you, for the short term. Are you familiar with that drug?"

I nod. I'd taken it a few times in my pre-mutant days for various anxiety problems. I've never had the best mental health, even before I became so attractive to so many nefarious individuals and organizations. He rattles off a list of side effects and hands me a pill. I take it without complaint.

"Do I have to stay down here?" I ask.

He purses his lips and Logan enters the medbay with a tray of food. He comes up and sets the tray down with a relieved smile.

"Hey, darlin', how ya doin'?"

"All right," I say hesitantly.

"Hungry?" he asks.

Hank adds, "You had better eat something, if you are able."

"I made Ramen for you," Logan offers. "Oriental flavor."

I smile and take the bowl. It's so salty—Logan must have used the whole seasoning packet. Well, I have bigger problems than high blood pressure. It's delicious and comforting, and I eat the whole bowl. Behind me, Remy carefully eats a sandwich. I hope he's not getting crumbs in my hair.

"In response to your question, Nori, I think perhaps you should stay in the medbay tonight. I—you and Remy have both been through an ordeal. Someone should stay with you."

"Logan will stay with us," I say.

Logan nods. "Yeah, I can do that." I smile at him.

Hank nods. "Very well. Logan—do be sure to contact me if—if you need anything. Nori, you're to take the Ativan twice a day, starting tomorrow. Say, with breakfast and with dinner. All right?"

"Yes, I understand," I say. Fed and drugged, I turn to Aiko. I'd almost forgotten she was here. "Aiko? Are you… how are you?"

"I'm okay. Professor Xavier talked to me. While you were sleeping. He helped me with some stuff."

"Good." I look at her, at Ken, at Mom.

Ken says, "I believe we are staying here for at least a few more days, Nori."

"Oh, good." I say. I embrace Aiko. I try to use my empathy to send her a little love, but I can't. The Ativan must have kicked in already, so I just squeeze her more tightly. She hugs me back. She looks content. I don't think Mesmero hypnotized her as much as he did Remy or me. Thank God, because there definitely seem to be lingering aftereffects from his little trick.

"I think I'm going to bed. I'll see you all in the morning?"

"Good night, Auntie."

I hug my mom and nod at Ken. Remy and Logan follow me upstairs. We take the elevator straight to the third floor. I don't feel up to seeing any of the students yet. It isn't very late, and truthfully I am not very tired—I've been sleeping most of the day. But I had just wanted out of that medbay and back to our own bedroom. I sit up with Remy and Logan and let myself be comforted by their touch. I pull out my laptop and stream a PBS documentary about the national parks, just to give us something to look at while we cuddle. Unfortunately, I'd underestimated my own levels of crazy, and I weep at a black and white photo of piles of buffalo corpses in Yellowstone National Park. I turn my face into Remy's sleek chest. Logan flips the laptop down. "No, it's okay, let's keep watching it," I sniff. "Or something."

"Hey, darlin', you're all right," Logan says.

"But the buffalo!" I say.

He comes up behind me and strokes my hair. "That was a long time ago. You go out west today, there's plenty of buffalo."

I calm down. I was just regular crying, not having a panic attack. Thanks, Ativan. I love Logan so much for trying to console me about the buffalo, as if that were the problem. But he's doing the best he can.

Logan says, "When you two were gone…" he trails off.

"How long were we gone?"

"Ten days."

"Hmm," I say. I turn and rest my face against Logan. "Love you."

He squeezes me. "Love you too." He takes a deep whiff of my hair and says, "Look, darlin', whatever… whatever's going on… we'll figure it out. We're all a team. You know that, right?"

"Yes," I whisper. I guess I nod off, because when I open my eyes Logan is asleep. I doubt he got much sleep while we were gone, so I lie with him quietly and let him rest. Remy's asleep on my other side. I reach out with my TK and bring the alarm clock to me. It's 6AM. I carefully return the clock. I close my eyes and return to a dreamy, half-asleep mental space. Sometimes bad things happen in this space, and I try to take charge of it. I envision myself surfing, floating peacefully on a board, waiting for a wave. The sun is warm on my skin. Logan makes a content sound beneath me.

A few hours later there's a knock on the door. "Come in," I say automatically. Logan wakes up and I smile at him. Rachael walks in the door carrying a tray of food. Oops. I kind of haven't told Rae about my relationship with Logan. And she kind of can't stand him. Well, whatever, it's my life. I decide to play dumb. It's not even really playing—I definitely still feel hazy.

She widens her eyes. "Uh—sorry," she stammers.

I sit up. "I said 'come in.' Morning, Rae."

"Morning…" she says, still startled.

"Mornin'," Logan says, a little bit smugly. He was the one who had wanted to keep our relationship quiet, but I guess he doesn't mind letting Rae see us curled up together.

"Uh. Do you want some tea?"

"Yes, please." I lean forward and she hands me a mug. "Sit down," I say.

She nods and has a seat on the couch. "You okay, Nori? I was so scared."

"Yeah… I… I'm fine. I don't…" My breathing is picking up a little and I use my TK to grab my pills off the nightstand. "I can't really talk about it," I say. Logan puts a hand on my knee and Rachael looks on a little jealously.

"What? I'm not an X-Man, I don't get to know what happened?" she asks.

"Can't you see how upset she is?" Logan asks. "The last couple times she tried to talk about it she started having panic attacks. This ain't about you, Greenie."

Rachael's eyes flick through anger, surprise, hurt, and regret. "You—you're right. Sorry."

"I know you are," I say. "You can ask Xavier what—what happened. I—I just can't—" I close my eyes and force myself to take deep breaths. I'm trembling a little and Logan moves to sit behind me, hands on my shoulders.

"Easy, darlin', you're all right," he murmurs.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," I say. He snorts and I say, "Fine-ish."

Remy sits up and looks around. His face looks fearful. I smile at him and say, "Morning, love."

He nods slightly and says nothing. Rachael looks at him and says, "Hey, Remy." Again, he nods. He's been so uncharacteristically quiet since we got back. But I guess I can see where he's coming from.

I reach out and take his hand. "Hey, love, we're okay," I whisper.

"Um. I brought bagels?" Rachael says.

"Thanks, Rae," I say. I reach out and take one. It's everything with chive and onion cream cheese. "My favorite," I say with a smile.

Rachael smiles back. "Yeah."

"Remy, do you want a bagel?" I ask.

He shrugs. Logan says, "Remy, you gotta eat something. Take one." Remy nods and picks one up. He holds it and looks at it. Logan sighs. "Take one and eat it," he clarifies. Robotically, Remy eats it.

I twist and look at Logan. He tilts his head slightly and I shrug. The Ativan shuts down my telepathy pretty completely or else I'd ask him that way—which I think is what he's trying to get me to do.

"Remy, are you okay? Is he okay?" I ask.

"Fine, _cher_," Remy murmurs, without looking at me. Logan shakes his head and Rachael looks uncomfortable.

"Well, I—I'll just—I'll be around, if you need anything," she says, standing to go.

I don't try to stop her. "Thanks for breakfast," I say. "Love you."

"Love you too," she says, pulling the door shut behind her.

"Logan, how long has he been like this?" I ask.

Logan rubs my shoulders. "Xavier said—he thought Remy was still kinda under Mesmero's influence. Said—he thought it'd wear off soon. Y'just gotta—give him clear instructions." Remy doesn't react to that at all, and I give a little shiver.

"He'll be all right, darlin'. LeBeau's a tough son of a bitch," Logan says fondly. "Just give him a little time. Give yourself a little time, too."

I scoot over on the bed and snuggle against Remy. He relaxes slightly but doesn't say anything. Logan follows me and puts his arm around my other side. "We'll all be all right," he says firmly.

NOTE: Personal disclosure, I cried like 100 times while watching Ken Burns's National Parks documentary. It's available to stream on Netflix if you are interested.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 (Remy)

It feels nice to be here with Nori and Logan, but I'm not sure what they want from me. I sit quietly and hope they'll tell me what to do. There's a knock on the door. Logan gets up to answer it and he lets Scott in. Nori and I are sitting quietly in the middle of the bed, arms around each other.

Scott sits on the couch and says, "So, uh, how are you guys doing?"

Nori takes a breath and says, "Been better. But, been worse, too."

Scott says, "Yeah." He looks at us for what feels like a long time. Finally, he says, "Nori… I have to ask, I have to… was it Jean?"

"Was what Jean?" Nori whispers.

"The… the woman, Xavier said, you saw a woman, at Alkali..."

"A woman. Oh, God, oh God oh God," Nori says. She breaks down and starts sobbing. Hesitantly, I rub my hand up and down her back. It seems like it might be the right thing to do.

"I'm sorry, Nori," Scott says, miserably. "I'm sorry. I just… I'm sorry. Hey. You're all right."

Nori shakes her head vigorously. "Something happened," she says.

Logan, standing with his arms crossed, says, "She said that before. I don't think she can talk about it. Don't know if maybe… maybe that Mesmero guy told her not to say anything, or what."

Something clicks in me. "They left us to die," I say. "They left us to die!"

Scott and Logan both turn to me. "Yeah," Scott says. "They did. But you're okay now."

Logan's breathing a little heavily, trying to keep his temper in check. Nori curls up and puts her head in my lap. She's still crying a little and I stroke her hair. I like the way her hair feels against my hand. "They shouldn't have done that," I say.

"No," Logan says. "They shouldn't have."

Nori says, "How is Aiko?"

"She's okay," Scott says. "Do you want to see her?"

"Not… not right now."

"Okay. Well… call if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay," Nori says. Scott leaves, and Logan follows him out into the hallway. Nori falls asleep on my lap, and I sit quietly for a while. An hour, maybe? I have no way of knowing, and I guess it doesn't really matter. Eventually, Logan comes back into the room and looks at us for a long moment.

"Hank said those pills'd make her tired," he says.

I nod. Logan comes to sit next to me on the bed and puts a strong arm around me. "Everything's going to be all right," he says.

"I would have… " I start. "I would have done anything that man told me to."

"Hey. Hey. It sounds like anyone would have, Remy. Don't blame yourself."

I shake my head. Logan rubs my shoulders. "You're fine, Remy. Just fine. Nori's fine, and Aiko's fine."

We're quiet for a few moments, and Logan says in a low, raw voice, "Y—you're scaring me, Cajun."

"_Desole_."

"Dammit, don't apologize, just—just—tell me what you need."

I think about that for a moment. What do I need? "Don't know, Logan. Think all I need is a little time. And you two."

"Well. You got that. As much as you need."

I take a deep breath and confess, "Logan—when we were—Mesmero, he would come and take Nori, and I never—never stopped him."

Rubbing my shoulders harder, Logan says, "Dammit, Remy, that ain't your fault. It's—anyone would have done the same thing. Don't mean you don't love her. Don't mean you wouldn't fight for her, if you were in your right mind."

"She—I don't know what he had her do—but—"

"I think she'll be okay, Cajun. She's been through that kinda thing before, yeah? We were—we were more worried for you."

"Me?"

"You've been—been like a robot. Nori's scared, yeah, but she's been pretty much herself. But you—you haven't been you." Logan's voice is still raw and honest, and that makes me a little nervous. Logan's never been the most emotional guy. I tilt my head and give him a gentle kiss. I'd missed him, missed his mouth, but I don't really feel up to any serious kissing or beyond. No wonder Logan's been worried about me.

On my lap, Nori stirs. She looks up at us and says, "Hmm, is this what you guys always do when I'm asleep?"

Logan smiles. "Pretty much, yeah. But don't get jealous, darlin'."

She pouts, and Logan bends down to give her a quick kiss. She sits up and I give her a kiss, too, soft and gentle. "That's better," she says, satisfied.

"_Je t'aime_," I say.

"I love you too," she says.

I wish her empathy were working. I hadn't realized how used I was to always knowing what she was feeling. I'm forced to return to normal human methods: I ask, "Hey,_ cher_, how you feel?"

"Oh, you know," she says. "Oh, right, no empathy. Weird. Yeah, I'm okay. Kind of, you know, kind of spacey. I literally don't remember the last time I washed my hair, and I don't know if that's because I'm missing memories or I just haven't washed my hair in that long." She touches her hair and looks pensive. "I think I'm going to take a shower now."

"You up to that?" Logan asks.

"Yeah. I think I can manage," Nori says. She's not being sarcastic, she's actually contemplated whether or not she's physically up to taking a shower. That thought briefly enrages me, but I take a breath and try to let it go. I can tell Logan's having the same thought process, but we both nod and let her go.

I rest my head on Logan's shoulder and he tightens his arm around me. It feels good to be held like this. Usually I'm the one who does the holding—which I like, too. But for right now, I'm content to just sit here with Logan. It's been nineteen years since I saw him for the first time. He'd made me nervous when I first saw him—there had been something written on his face that spelled trouble, even before I saw his tags. But ultimately, he'd won my respect. (And maybe he still makes me a little bit nervous, honestly, but I know he's on my side.) All things considered, I'm glad this is how things turned out.

Nori emerges from the shower wrapped in a towel. Shivering, she quickly changes into yoga pants and a sweatshirt and wraps the towel around her damp hair. She turns on some music and comes to sit on the other side of me, putting an arm around my waist. She smells like lavender and mint, and the scent soothes me.

We sit and listen to Paul Simon. Nori always puts on Paul Simon when anyone is upset, and it honestly helps. But now I realize that it's much more effective when Nori has her empathy, when I can listen to the music and feel what she feels. But sometimes she sings along softly and that's almost as good.

After several songs I'm feeling pretty relaxed. Finally I sigh and say, "I never thought about… what it feels like, when I charm people. I never… if it's anything like this… it's an evil gift I have, _non_?"

Nori shakes her head. "You've charmed me, right? I never even noticed. It wasn't… wasn't anything like this. And I don't think you ever used your gift for evil. Look at me—I could erase your memory if I wanted, I could… I could do a lot of things."

"But you wouldn't, _cher_."

"And neither would you, love. You'd never do anything like what Mesmero did to us."

"I—I've done some t'ings…"

"Remy. Did you forget that I'm a telepath? I've been in your head, I've been in your nightmares. I know what you've done. You never hurt anybody who didn't—didn't have it coming. At least, as best you knew."

Logan adds, "Cajun, I been with you since you two got back. As soon as you got any kind of control over yourself back, you asked about Aiko and Nori. You got a good heart, and y'can't help it if someone else took control of your head for a spell."

I nod and say nothing. Nori looks at me for a long moment. "Remy, you remember—when I was with Stryker, Xavier and I almost _killed everyone_. Including both of you. Do you think—do you blame me for that?"

"_Non_, _ma mie_, of course not. Of course not."

"Then how is this any different? Because I'm not as strong as you?"

"_Non, non._ Just—just—" I let out a breath.

Nori traces circles on my back and says, "I know it sucks. But… but we're okay. We're okay. I love you." Her voice is gentle and sweet. Her love is a little miracle. She gives my shoulders a quick squeeze and gets up from the bed. I watch her with the faintest bit of alarm, but she just pulls her violin down from the closet. She turns off Paul Simon and plays a classical piece. I don't know it, but it's lovely. I love watching Nori play. Her face becomes completely transformed, serious and intense and playful all at once. It's a long piece, but Logan and I sit and watch without losing interest. Finally, she puts her violin down and blinks up at us.

"That was beautiful, _cher_," I say. Logan nods in agreement.

"I haven't played that in years," she says thoughtfully. "I don't know what made me think of it."

"What is it?" I ask.

"It's from Stravinski's _Firebird_."

Logan and I glance at each other sharply. Firebird? Hadn't she said something about a Phoenix before? It was possible she didn't remember.

"What?" she asks.

"Nothin'," I say, temporarily thankful that her psychic powers were out of order. "Just real pretty song, _ma mie_."

She smiles gently. "It's not a song, it's a piece. But yes, it's one of my favorites."

"What's the difference?" Logan asks.

"Songs have words."

"Well, then, sing us a song," I ask.

She gives a sweet smile and starts to bow out a vaguely melancholy melody. She sings:

_They say you were something _

_In those formative years_

_Well, hold on to nothing_

_As fast as you can_

_Well, still_

_Pretty good year_

Oh, pretty good…

It's sad and lovely, and when she's done, I sigh and plead, "_Cher_, don't you know _any _happy songs?"

She laughs. "Not very many, no." But she obligingly plays us a cheery Simon & Garfunkel song.

_I got no deeds to do,_

_No promises to keep_

_I'm dappled and drowsy_

_And ready for sleep_

_Let the morning time_

_Drop all its petals on me_

_Life, I love you_

_All is groovy_

"Was that better?" she asks.

"Too short," I say with a pout.

"Ah, everyone's a critic! Let's go get lunch. What time is it?"

Logan and I both shrug. "Does it matter?" he asks.

We head down to the staff kitchen and learn that it's late afternoon, closer to dinnertime really. Nori stares into the fridge for a moment and pulls out a yogurt. I make myself a ham sandwich and briefly relish the chance to eat it without picking up a hint of Nori's disgust through her telepathy. Still, she scrunches her nose at me and microwaves some frozen edamame. Logan helps her eat it, and between them a huge pile of empty green shells grows until the whole bag is gone. They both love Japanese food, but I just can't get into it.

After we eat, Nori says, softly, "I'm going to go see Aiko."

"Y'want us to come with you?" Logan asks.

"Yes, please."

So we follow our girl down to the medbay. Aiko lights up to see her aunt, and her _maman_ and brother-in-law look relieved to see that Nori's more or less regained her senses. Aiko tells us that Xavier'd been helping her with her power so she could shield. Poor Aiko was susceptible to the emotions of everyone around her. That couldn't be easy in a place like Xavier's—a lot of high school drama, without even getting into the actual trauma a lot of students (not to mention teachers) here have been through. Ken seems much more agreeable too, and a nagging part of my mind wonders if Xavier did something to his memories. But maybe he'd just gotten used to life at the school, seen that people here genuinely wanted to help. I know it's hard for some people to believe, myself included. Logan, too, for that matter. Nori had had no problem taking Xavier at face value, but then, she'd been in a coma for her first two weeks here.

We stay in the medbay for a few hours. Logan stays with us the whole time, even though he _hates_ the medbay. Aiko starts to get sleepy, and Ken politely kicks us out. We go upstairs and end up going to bed ourselves. Nori snuggles up against my chest and Logan puts an arm around both of us. It's warm and comfortable, and it's hard to believe it's been almost two weeks since we all slept together like this.

NOTE: Songs quoted are "Pretty Good Year" by Tori Amos and "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" by Simon & Garfunkel (duh).


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 (Logan)

I'm not surprised when Nori wakes up in the middle of the night. She's always had nightmares-well, as long as I've known her, anyway. She might not have had them before William Stryker entered her life. I hear her gasp and jerk awake. I expect her to turn to me or Remy for comfort, but instead she gets out of bed and heads for the door. I follow behind her.

"Darlin', you all right?"

She turns and looks at me with glowing red eyes. "_This doesn't concern you, Logan_." Her voice is deeper than usual, and very intense.

What the hell? I follow her down the hall. She stops in front of Scott's room. I put a hand on her shoulder and say, "Nori, what are you doin'? It's the middle of the night. You can talk to Summers in the morning."

She jerks away from my hand and shoves me hard, sending me a few feet back. Her eyes are still red, and she repeats, "_This doesn't concern you_."

Well, maybe it doesn't, but I'm sure as hell not leaving. She tries to open Scott's door. When she finds it locked, she hisses and the door disintegrates. I'm sure she's never done anything like that before.

She stands before Scott and says, "_Scott! Scott, come find me. Scott, you promised me you'd never leave me_." Her whole body is glowing red now and she's floating a few inches off the ground. Scott stares at her through the goggles he wears for sleeping.

"Jean?" he whispers.

"_Yes. Come find me, Scott, there isn't much time_."

"Jean, where are you? I love you so much, Jean, I-" he reaches out to try to touch Nori-Jean, and pulls his hand away as if he's been burned.

"_She is not me. Find me, Scott. Find me_."

"I will, Jean, I will," Scott says desperately. "Where are you?"

"_I am everywhere_." Abruptly, Nori stops glowing and drops back to the floor. She blinks. Scott starts sobbing, and Nori says, "Oh, Scott, what's wrong? What happened? Where-am I in your room?"

Scott and I both stare at her. "Nori?" I ask hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"You, ah-you don't remember how you got here?"

"No. Was-did I sleepwalk? I've never done that before, I don't think."

"I don't think you've done this before, either," I say.

"What's wrong?" she asks, sounding a little panicked. "Scott, what's wrong?"

"I think-I think we should talk to the Professor," Scott says.

"That's an idea," I say. "Nori-wait here with Scott. I'm going to get LeBeau. And your pills."

"Okay," she says in a small voice.

I give her a quick hug and say, "Good girl." I'm not sure what I mean by that. Am I telling her she is a good girl or telling her to be one? I step back out through where the door used to be and take a deep breath in the hallway. Was Jean really-back? Was she a ghost? What was that? I'm sure it wasn't Nori's idea of a joke. She ain't mean-spirited like that, and I'm pretty damn sure she doesn't normally have some of the powers she was just using. I hurry down the hall to our room and shake Remy awake.

He gives a sleepy stretch. His hair falls over his face and it's unbelievably sexy. No, focus, Logan. "Remy, get up. Something-Nori's doing something strange."

"_Quoi_? Where is she? What are you talking about?"

"She's down the hall, with Scott. She-she woke up and she was glowing, and she completely destroyed Scott's door. And she started talking to him-like she was Jean Grey. Telling him to find her. Then-then she was back to normal and she didn't remember doing it at all."

"_Dieu_," Remy breathes.

"Yeah. So. We're gonna go talk to Chuck. But I thought you should be there."

He nods and gets up, shaking off all traces of sleepiness. "Let's go, then."

I grab Nori's Ativan off the bedside table. Belatedly we remember that she hadn't taken it last night. "Think this would've happened if she'd taken it?" Remy asks.

"Who knows? I think-think it probably would have happened eventually. I-I don't know what happened, but... damn." I have an uneasy feeling deep in my gut. I don't like this at all. Jean's been dead three years now. Scott was finally starting to move on. I had moved on. Nobody was happy she was dead, but we were used to it. And now what? Were we going to have to give up Nori in exchange for Jean? I don't like that idea. Easy, don't get ahead of yourself. Jean-or whoever-had said, _She is not me_.

"Damn," Remy says, seeing the remains of Scott's doorframe. We enter the room. The lights are on. Scott is sitting on the bed with his arms wrapped around himself. Nori is standing in the middle of the room, looking lost. Remy puts an arm around her and she leans against him.

"Well," I say. "Let's go see what Xavier has to say about this."

The four of us head downstairs. We're a motley bunch. Scott's in flannel pajama pants and a long-sleeve Columbia T-shirt, topped off with red goggles. Remy actually sleeps in black silk pajamas, when he bothers to wear them at all. I'm in flannel pajama bottoms and no shirt, despite the cold. Nori's wearing pale blue flannel pajamas printed with cartoon penguins. It's hard to reconcile her with the floating, flaming woman she'd been a few minutes ago.

Xavier'd clearly been expecting us. He telepathically invites us in and we find him sitting up in his chair, wearing a blue dressing gown. "Please, have a seat," he says. I've never been in his room before. It's a suite and we're in the living area. Nori, Remy, and I all sit on a fancy white sofa. Scott sits on a wooden chair.

Xavier listens with interest as Scott and I tell what we saw. Nori covers her mouth with her hand.

"I did that?" she whispers. Xavier asks to examine her memories. She nods and kneels in front of his chair. He gently touches her face while the rest of us look on anxiously. After several moments he pulls away. Both of them have tears in their eyes. Nori's fairly calm, though. Nothing like she'd been the last few times she'd tried to access a missing memory.

"Well?" Scott asks, his voice ragged. "Was-is it-Jean?"

Xavier sighs. "Yes—and no."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I say. My voice is low, and it sounds like a growl.

"Jean was—perhaps is—an extraordinarily powerful telepath. Magnitudes stronger than myself."

"What?" Scott asks.

Xavier continues. I can smell how nervous he is. "She couldn't control her power. It was too much for her. It was dangerous, for her and for others. So—I put up strong shields in her mind and walled off much of her power. The—I had always intended to work with her one day to realize her full potential, when she was ready… but then, she died."

"She—she never said anything about that," Scott says, sounding betrayed.

"She did not know, at least not consciously."

"That don't sound right," I say. It sounds like something Stryker would have done, though I leave that unsaid. I'm sure Xavier still heard it.

Xavier's lips thin. "I had a terrible decision to make, Logan. It was the best I could have done."

"Maybe when she was a kid, but she was what, thirty?"

"Logan, you do not understand what you are talking about." I take a deep breath and clench my hands. Nori gently puts a hand over one of my fists.

Scott sighs and says, "Okay, so—okay, so, Jean had strong telepathy. Are you—is she some kind of telepathic spirit?"

"All I can do is theorize," Xavier says.

"But what's your theory?" Scott asks.

"Perhaps—in her time of greatest need, Jean's powers freed themselves in order to save those she loved, at Alkali Lake. She would have likely been overwhelmed by the new power coursing through her. She might not have consciously understood how she could have used them to save herself. But—perhaps—her consciousness survived the water that killed her body. Perhaps—it was simply waiting for an opportunity to—reconstruct itself. And I think—that is what Sinister and Nori provided for her."

Nori takes her hand off of mine and bites down on her own knuckle in distress. "What did I do?" she asks softly, pulling her hand back down to her lap. I take it and squeeze it.

"I think that Sinister helped you find Jean's—spirit, let's call it—and used you as a way to… communicate with her, and to help her… make herself corporeal."

"But if she's as powerful as you say, she wouldn't have needed me," Nori says.

"Perhaps she wouldn't," Xavier says. "But I believe she would have been extremely disoriented. She likely was not aware of her own potential, until an—outside force acted."

"How would Sinister even know?" Scott asks.

"He's real powerful," Remy says. "And he's… he's into this kinda thing. Immortality and all."

I listen to Nori's breathing. It's a little too deep and even—I know she's concentrating on it hard.

"She said… she asked me to find her. She said there wasn't much time," Scott says. "Not much time until what?"

"I wonder—" Remy says, then trails off. "Well—Sinister's always wanted to kill Apocalypse. But he's not strong enough himself. Maybe—he wants Jean to do it."

"Who's Apocalypse?" I ask.

"I ain't exactly sure," Remy says. "But Sinister hates him."

"He told me that Apocalypse made him immortal," Nori offers.

"He tell you how? Or why?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "I asked and he told me 'it was best if I knew nothing of Apocalypse.'"

I snort.

Scott says, "Okay. So. What's our plan? How can we find her?"

Xavier says, "I'll look with Cerebro."

"I'll help," Nori says. We all look at her sharply. The only time Nori helped Xavier with Cerebro, she was drugged by Stryker. She's been skittish about Cerebro ever since. She raises her eyebrows. "Well," she says, "On your own, you've never found her before. Maybe—maybe you're not strong enough. Maybe I could help."

"Well—yes, that's possible," Xavier says. I don't think he likes admitting that.

Remy says, "Are—are we sure we want to find her?"

"Of course!" Scott snaps. "I love her. She's one of us. One of the team."

"_Desole_, Scott, I mean—this—well, I saw her leave with Mesmero. Could be a trap."

"All the more reason we need to get her back, then," Scott says.

"_Oui_, of course. But—it's a different t'ing, _non_? We need to know what to prepare for. If she's as powerful as the Professor says, and she's—not in her right mind—well, what are we gonna do?"

"If she's really that powerful, how would Mesmero even be able to affect her?" Scott asks.

Xavier says, "Well, he was able to manipulate both Nori and Remy—no easy feat, given their abilities. And especially if Jean were confused—well—it wouldn't be impossible."

"Well. Let's go look for her," Nori says. She says it as brightly and casually as if she had said, "Let's go make pancakes."

"Are you sure you wish to look for her now?" Xavier asks. "Perhaps when you are—rested."

She looks at him steadily. "Uh, the last time I went to sleep, I was apparently inhabited by some kind of fire-spirit. Do… do you really think I'm going to get a lot of rest tonight?"

Xavier smiles. "I suppose not."

So we leave Xavier's room and head down to Cerebro. Nori follows Xavier, and Remy follows her automatically. Scott and I glance at each other and wordlessly decide to wait in the hallway. It's one of the few times I wish I had some kind of official claim to Remy and Nori. I should be in there with them, but… I stay out with Scott. It would be too humiliating to have Xavier ask me to leave. The shiny metal door slides shut and I glance at Scott.

"They'll find Jeannie," I say. Scott gives a terse nod. We wait in an uncomfortable silence for maybe half an hour.

"They've been in there for a long time," I say.

"Yeah," Scott says.

Finally, the door slides open. Scott and I peer in anxiously. Nori's awake, but barely. She leans heavily on Remy, and they carefully make their way back over the bridge. Xavier wheels himself out behind them.

"All right there, Nori?" I ask.

She nods, but her eyes don't focus on me. Remy scoops her up in his arms. She gives a little sigh but doesn't protest, so I know she's close to passing out. Magnifying other peoples' powers exhausts her, and I'm sure her anxiety about Cerebro didn't help none.

Scott's looking desperately at Xavier. Xavier sighs. "I think—perhaps—I found her. It's—it's very hazy."

"Well, where is she?"

"California. Do you remember—the lab? That was working on a so-called cure for mutants?"

"The one that Pyro burned down?" I ask.

Nori closes her eyes and turns her face against Remy's chest.

"Yes," Xavier says.

"Well, let's go," Scott says.

"Scott, have patience. You can't go without your team, and your team is—not ready. You are not ready."

"Dammit, Charles, that's—Jean is out there, with those—those psychos, and you want me to wait until everyone's had their full eight hours of sleep?"

"He has a point," I say.

Scott growls and storms off. I glance at Remy and Nori and then follow Scott. He's still not my favorite person on the planet, but I respect him, and I don't want him to do something stupid.

"Back the fuck off, Logan," he says.

"Look, Summers, I know how you feel."

"Oh, do you?" His voice is venomous.

"When it was Nori with Magneto—don't you think I wanted to go chase after her? But I didn't. I waited until—until we could go as a team."

"What is it with you and women who don't belong to you?"

"Nori belongs to herself," I say. Impulsively, I decide to be up front with Scott. "But—I love her. And she loves me. It's—complicated. And that ain't the point. If you run out looking for Jeannie now, maybe you'll find her. But you honestly think you can take on Magneto, Sinister, and Mesmero single-handed?"

"The longer we wait—the more time—the more time she has—with _them_."

"I know, bub. I know." I sigh. "Look. You wanna go now, I'll follow you. But you think about what it'll do to Xavier if you get killed tonight." I leave it unsaid that I think Magneto might be able to kill me if he really wanted to. I'm not sure, and I'm not especially anxious to find out. But I would go.

He glares at me. "What do you care about Xavier?"

"Doesn't matter, Summers. I know _you_ care about him."

He stares at me for another moment before crossing his arms and giving me a nod. "Fine. Whatever. We'll go later today."

"I'll be right there with you, Cyclops. Get some sleep, if you can."

He stares at me silently. I turn and head upstairs. Nori's out, and somehow Remy is too. They're lying curled up together with Nori on the inside. She has her knees drawn up to her chest and her hands over her face, a protective posture. I lie down on my back, not touching her, but close. I breathe in their mingled scents and drift off to an uneasy sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 (Nori)

When I open my eyes, both Remy and Logan are already awake, but still lying in bed beside me. They've clearly been watching me sleep. Normally, I would find that to be a little creepy, but given that last night I'd apparently been possessed by Jean Grey's Phoenix spirit in my sleep, I don't blame them.

"Morning," I say sleepily.

"Mornin', _cher_," Remy says.

"Mornin', darlin'," Logan says.

Both men sound relieved, and I smile. "What time is it?" I ask.

Remy glances at the alarm clock. "'Bout ten."

"Ten!" I never sleep that late. "Hey. What about—what happened to my classes while I was gone?"

"They've been practicin' on their own," Logan says. "Rachael came down and worked with 'em some, too. They missed you somethin' fierce, though."

I smile. "I missed them, too." And I had—on those rare occasions when I'd been lucid enough to realize where I was (and where I wasn't). "And you, of course."

"Mmm. What'd you miss most about me?" Logan asks.

I roll on my side and gaze into his eyes, with a slight quirk of my lips. "Oh, Logan, I missed the way the light glints off your eyes and makes them look like sapphires. I missed your ruby lips. I missed your alabaster skin."

I bat my eyelashes and both men laugh. "Y'sure that was me you were missing?" Logan asks.

"Well, who else?"

He smiles and kisses my forehead. "My sweet girl," he says, affectionately.

I grin and sit up. "Hey. Uh. What's going on today?"

Logan's face goes abruptly serious. "Well. Looks like we're goin' t'look for Jeannie."

I nod. "I mean, when are we leaving?"

Logan and Remy both look at me. "Hey. I know I'm not on the team anymore but this is—I have to go." I know they're both protective, but they're not idiots. Nobody else has my powers. And nobody else has been—possessed—by Jean Grey. Or whatever.

Remy sighs. "Yeah, _cher_, I think you do."

Logan growls faintly and I say, "Logan, come on. You know my powers could be useful."

"I know, darlin', but that doesn't mean I have to like it." I kiss him gently. Remy pouts, and I kiss him too. I stand up and walk to my closet.

"Uh, what should I wear?" I ask, feeling awkwardly girlish.

Remy laughs. "Uniform, prob'ly."

"Oh, right, that." In the meantime I pull on black jeans, a blue Xavier's T-shirt, and a soft green sweater. I quickly work my hair into a French braid. "Anyway, let's go get breakfast. Or lunch? Whatever."

Remy says, "All right, _cher_, give us a minute."

Logan says, "If we're waiting for LeBeau to get dressed, call it dinner time."

Remy mock-pouts and gets dressed with deliberation. Logan slips next door and comes back in jeans and an Xavier's sweatshirt. We head downstairs. Once again, we've missed regular mealtime so we go to the staff kitchen. I make tea while Logan scrambles a huge number of eggs. He eats most of them, but Remy and I help. I cut up an apple. Remy steals slices off my plate with an endearing grin.

I take my tea into the living room and find some of the students. They smile at us and burble happiness and concern for me and Remy. It's the first time I've seen them since we got back from being with Magneto and Co. I can tell that mingled in with their happiness, they're a little cautious about us, but Remy and I smile and console them. They've clearly been coached not to ask me any questions, which is fine. I'm not in the mood for a panic attack. Logan perches on the arm of one of the couches and watches. We're fine. We're just fine.

Xavier mentally calls us down to the Sit Room. We make our excuses and slip out of the living room. Everyone else is already down there, and it's clear they've been filled in on last night's events. I try not to notice that everyone looks a little afraid of me. Scott gives me a tense smile, and I smile back. I think mine would probably also be described as a tense smile.

"So," Scott says. "We believe the—Brotherhood is at the remains of the lab that was working on developing a so-called cure for the X-gene. Our primary objective is to determine whether or not—whether or not Jean is with them. And, of course, to bring her back to the mansion with us, if she is."

Remy speaks up. "How are we going to do anything if Mesmero is there?"

Xavier says, "I will be traveling with you. I'm not certain, but—I think I can shield our minds against him. Especially with help from Nori."

I nod, happy I hadn't taken my Ativan this morning.

Remy presses on. "I hope so, but—look, he went through Nori's shield, though my shield wit' no trouble at all."

Xavier says, a bit patronizingly, "I believe my shields are a little stronger than yours." They are, but they aren't invulnerable. He was Stryker's puppet just as I was. Well, all right, Stryker had a little bit more trouble with Xavier than with me—but he still did it. But what's the alternative? We have to try.

Scott says, "I'll be honest. I don't think this is going to be easy. In addition to Mesmero, the Brotherhood has also been joined by Mr. Sinister. And—Jean herself may—may try to fight us."

Poor Scott sounds broken at the idea. This day is not going to be easy for me, but it will be harder for Scott. I try to project reassurance at him, though I'm not sure how convincing it is. He gives me a small smile.

"The team for this mission will consist of myself, the professor, Wolverine, Gambit, Echo, Beast, Storm, Magma, and Marrow."

That only leaves Kurt and Cecilia at the school. But I agree with Scott. We need a lot of people for this.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Scott asks.

Remy says, his voice serious, "Listen. The thing about Mesmero—if someone is under is influence—I don't think you can talk them out of it. At first, Aiko and I tried, with Nori—we shouted and waved and she did not notice."

Scott says, "We'll just have to hope that the Professor and Echo can protect us from him."

Hank says, "Also, I will bring some tranquilizer darts. If we have reason to believe that one of our teammates is—under Mesmero's influence, we can—well, tranquilize them."

"Hey," I say. "When I take anti-anxiety medication, it always shuts down my powers. Do you think—do you think that would work on Mesmero?"

"Or we could just tranquilize _him_," Logan says.

"Oh. Yeah. I guess that would be more direct," I say. I'm definitely not the best X-Man. That's fine. It's not really my life goal, or anything.

Hank nods, absently. "I… I'll be prepared with a variety of pharmaceuticals."

Scott glances around for any further questions or comments, and says, "We'll leave in thirty minutes. Suit up."

Should I say goodbye to Aiko? I feel a very real sense that I might not come back from this. But what can I tell her? I decide to write her a quick letter. I slip up to my office and write an apology, a goodbye, and whatever words of wisdom I can muster. Logan comes in without knocking (of course) and says, "What'cha doin', darlin'?"

"Just writing a letter for Aiko. You know, in case I die."

He flinches. "Darlin'—"

"Don't act like it's not a possibility," I say calmly. "I just want to be prepared." I finish the letter and seal it in an envelope. On the outside I write, "For Aiko. Open after my death." I sign and date it.

Logan gives me a slightly wild look. I smile. "Come on, _anata_, let's go put on some black leather."

"You know—you know I'll look after you, don't you?"

"Of course, Logan. I'll look after you, too. But—it might not be enough, is all I'm saying."

"You'll be fine, Nori," he says. I slip my arm around his.

"Love you," I say. I hope he's right. I don't want to die. I don't want to become another of Logan's slain loves. But if I die today, in this fight, well, there are worse things.

He sighs. "Love you too," he murmurs. We head down to the locker room in the basement and emerge looking like X-Men. Or leather fetishists. We join the others in the hangar.

Remy's already there, managing to look casual in his black leather jumpsuit. I smile up at him and he bends down to kiss me. I link the three of us telepathically and am unsurprised to see the thoughts these two are having about me in black leather.

_Leather is murder_, I think to them.

_Cher, I think any cow would die happy knowing they were going to end up on a body like yours_, Remy says.

Logan doesn't think anything in words, but he shares an image that makes me blush. He and Remy both give me slow smiles as the pink rises up my face.

_Yes,_ Remy agrees. _We'll have to put that on our to-do list when we get back. Don't you think, cher?_

I duck my head and think, _Yes_. It's probably not the best idea to be so terribly aroused right before leaving on a mission. I bite my lip and try to calm down.

Remy strokes my shoulder soothingly. _It's all right, cher, we'll have plenty of time later._

Logan glances at me. I force myself to smile and think, _Of course we will_. In truth, I can't shake a suspicion that something terrible is going to happen. I suspect they both know this, but neither of them knows what to say. We stand together quietly for a few more minutes until Cyclops emerges from the jet.

"We're good to go," he says, and we all climb on board. Hank helps Xavier up the ramp and straps his chair into place. I sit in between Remy and Logan. Remy looks moodily out the window, and Logan looks moodily at me. He hates flying. I squeeze his hand. I'm usually fine with flying, but I'm still overtaken by a sense of awful foreboding. I close my eyes and go through a guided meditation. Mentally, I invite Logan and Remy. I can tell Logan is paying close attention—anything to avoid thinking about the fact that we're thousands of feet in the air. I lose track of time, and when I open my eyes I'm standing in the aisle and everyone is staring at me with horror. Scott is sobbing, though the tears evaporate under his visor before they hit his cheeks.

"What?" I ask, warily. I'm afraid I already know the answer.

"You were Jean again," Logan says, his breathing rapid.

"You truly don't remember?" Hank asks. I shake my head no.

Remy murmurs, "You told us we should turn around. You told us—there was no point."

"Well—I mean, _I_ didn't," I say. I feel drained and on the verge of tears. "I have a bad feeling about this," I whisper. I sit down and lean against Remy. He strokes my back. The remainder of our flight is extremely tense. When we're close, Cyclops asks Xavier and I to start trying to shield everyone. Remy kisses me and Logan squeezes my hand, and I rise to sit next to Xavier. I take his hand and focus carefully on trying to magnify his powers enough to be useful, but not so much as to wipe me out. I hum to myself. The jet lands and the team slips out. Magma, in her molten form, stays behind to guard Xavier and I from any potential physical attack. I settle in and wait, hoping my sense of foreboding turns out to be ill-founded.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 (Remy)

I feel a pang of anxiety about leaving Nori behind, but I'm sure she's safer back there on the jet. I wish she weren't here at all. But I try to shake that from my mind. I need to focus or somebody's going to get hurt, and it might be me.

Logan keeps sniffing the air and looking troubled. "I think—I don't know," he says. "I think—they're here."

We quickly cross the distance between the jet and the remnants of the lab. It's strange to be here in the daylight. The charred ruins are downright spooky. Wolverine, Beast, and I can see in the dark, and we take point. Claustrophobic Storm refuses to enter the dark basement, and she waits for us aboveground. I start charging cards to give a little light for the others. I hold them for as long as possible before letting them go off. We don't have to go far through the labyrinthine basement before we run into the Brotherhood.

Mesmero smiles at us, face bathed in the emergency lighting that's strung up in this part of the basement. "So lovely to see you again, Gambit. But where's Echo?"

My blood runs cold. "She had better t'ings to do than come look at your ugly mug," I say. I'm trying to keep my tone light but I'm not sure how successful I am.

Sinister says, in that creepy purr of his, "She's with Xavier. They're trying to block your ability, Mesmero."

"Are they, now? How fascinating," Mesmero says.

I hate them so much I think I might throw up. That would be extremely unprofessional, and I try to keep it down. I'm Gambit, dammit.

"Where's Jean?" Scott asks. His tone of voice, raw and hopeful and lost, cuts me.

Mesmero smiles. "Yes, Cyclops. She'd like to see you, too. Let's go see her."

We all follow Mesmero. I am honest-to-God not sure if Cyke's being hypnotized or not. I'm pretty sure I'm not, but I can't say for certain. Logan's sniffing the air and looking anguished. He'd loved Jean, too, I know. She must be here. But what is she? And why—why had she told Scott to come find her, and then told us not to come? I'm sure that Mesmero was responsible for the change of heart. But what did Mesmero want? Did he want us to come? Or want us to leave? Which message had come directly from Jean? _Mon dieu_, I do not want to be here. On the bright side, the fact that I'm so uneasy makes me think I'm not being controlled by Mesmero. Unless—he _does_ want us to leave.

We follow Mesmero to a shiny silver-and-glass lab that looks utterly unscathed. It looks incredibly strange surrounded by charred rubble. Inside are Magneto and a red-headed woman, who I assume must be Jean Grey.

Scott and Logan both gasp.

"Scott?" Jean asks, hesitantly.

"Jean," Scott says, reverently. He runs up to her and puts his hands on her cheeks. "How is this possible? Is—is it you?"

"Of course it's me, Scott."

"But—how?" he asks. If it were me, I wouldn't be asking too many questions just about now. But Scott ain't me. I tear my eyes away from the reunion and glance around. We're short a few Brotherhood members. Where are Pyro and Mystique? What is the purpose of this meeting? This doesn't feel right. I wish we had our telepathic link, but Nori and Xavier are dedicating all their energy to shielding us. I wish I knew for sure if it was working.

Mesmero smiles brightly and whispers to Scott and Jean. Abruptly, they turn on the rest of us. Scott shoots his beams at us, and Jean—turns into some kind of fire-creature, flying at us.

_Merde_. I know what I can fight and what I can't, and I'm no match for this. I turn and try to make my way out of the basement. Sinister's red eyes glint at me from the darkness and I remember him in the Morlock tunnels. Beast follows behind me. Logan and Marrow, both blessed with a healing factor, stand there and take the assault. Magneto sighs and sends Logan flying backward.

Wolverine gives an anguished scream and tries to struggle forward, but the metal in his bones holds him put. It's awful to watch. Marrow's uniform has burned off completely but she's still trying to fight. I watch her pink skin char.

"Marrow! Come back!" I call. "This is pointless."

She looks back at me and keeps fighting. "Bloodthirsty," Nori had once called her, and she wasn't wrong.

Sinister, now standing between Scott and Jean, laughs, and it's the worst sound I've ever heard. With a gesture, he sends Marrow flying back to the end of the hallway. He, Mesmero, Scott, and Jean vanish, leaving Magneto looking—confused? At the moment, I don't care. I run to Marrow and check on her. The group makes its way back to the jet. Logan and Marrow are both naked and their skin is still burnt, though regrowing. Logan's lost in his rage, and I focus my attention on trying to soothe him back to reality. Nori will be better at this task than I am, I think.

But when we get back to the jet, we find Xavier unconscious, Nori sitting on the floor and staring out blankly, and Magma crying.

Hank pulls out some extra clothes for Logan and Marrow. Marrow quickly dresses but Logan doesn't notice the offered handout. I bend down and touch Nori's shoulder.

She looks up at me and I recoil at the unfamiliar expression in her eyes. "Hey, _cher_," I say. "You all right?"

Magma takes a deep breath and says, "I don't think she is. Or Xavier."

"What happened?" Hank asks.

"Nori did that—that fire thing again. Probably half an hour ago. But she didn't really talk, she just screamed. Xavier passed out. He—he fell out of the chair. I put him back in but I don't know if—if he's hurt. But he's been out since then. And then Nori stopped doing the fire and she just sat down on the floor and she—I've been trying to talk to her but—but it's like no one's home in there."

Half an hour ago? How long had we been gone? I tried to put together a timeline. Had this happened at the same time Jean had attacked all of us? Perhaps just before? Sinister had known they were here, known they were shielding us. This is the _worst_, I think, and then I laugh. I laugh and laugh and at some point I realize I'm actually sobbing. I breathe deep and try to pull myself together.

Logan focuses his eyes on the two of us. He's still out of it—he's growling and naked—but he's registered that we're in pain. He kneels next to us.

"Hey, Logan," I manage to say.

He runs his hands over Nori's face, over my face. He feels us like a blind person trying to understand what we look like. I close my eyes for a brief moment and enjoy his touch, despite the circumstances. Finally, he shakes his head. "This ain't right," he says.

I laugh. "No, it ain't," I say. Everyone's watching us. I gently caress Logan's hand for a moment and look into his eyes. He's coming back into his senses, and I say, "Maybe you want to put some pants on, _mon ami_?"

He glances down and says, "Uh, yeah." I reach my hand out to Hank, who passes me the bundle of clothing Logan had earlier rejected. Logan dresses himself in sweatpants and a T-shirt and sits on the floor next to Nori. His breathing is still ragged.

"What happened down there?" Storm asks. "Where's Scott?"

There's a long, long silence before Hank finally answers, "He's gone."

"Gone? I don't understand," Storm says.

"Just—vanished," Hank says.

"Sinister took them, I think," I say. "He can teleport. And he can take people with him." I'd seen him take Nori from me that way, and I give a little shiver at the memory.

"Where would he go?" Storm asks.

Hank frowns and says, "Let's get back to the mansion. I'd like to examine Nori and Charles. And… we need to regroup."

"We're just going to leave Scott and Jean with Sinister?" Storm asks.

"We certainly are _not_," Hank says. "But we're in no shape to help them now, even if we knew where they were."

Storm gives a reluctant nod. "All right. Let's get ready for takeoff."

She and Hank ready the jet. I bend down and say, "Nori, _cher_, let's get you off the floor."

Her eyes flick up to meet mine and she shies away from me. I grimace and pull her up. Her body is rigid with fear, and Logan takes a deep breath and gives a low growl.

"Easy, Logan," I say. "I'm just trying to get her buckled into a seat."

I awkwardly maneuver her into an aisle seat and snap the harness around her. She runs her hands up and down the belts and looks terrified. I sit next to her and hold her hand, and she relaxes slightly.

Logan comes and sits across the aisle from her. He reaches his hand out for hers and she takes it silently. When we land, Logan and I maneuver Nori to the medbay. Hank wheels Xavier behind us. Hank works on Xavier, testing him and connecting him to all kinds of wires.

Cecilia, who'd been waiting for our arrival, starts to examine Nori. I tell her what Amara had told us, about the Phoenix.

She sighs. "Would you believe, they never covered this kind of thing in med school?"

I don't laugh.

Nori doesn't respond to any verbal questions or commands. She meekly lets Cecilia change her out of her black leather uniform and into a hospital gown. Cecilia helps her into the big white tube for a CAT scan. Next she deftly puts an IV drip in Nori's thin, tattooed arm.

It's not the first time I've seen her out of it in the medbay, but it might be the spookiest. Cecilia and Hank confer and Cecilia adds something to the IV bag. Nori quickly falls asleep. Logan paces anxiously around the room. Xavier is unconscious on a nearby bed.

"What's the story?" I ask Cecilia.

She sighs. "There doesn't appear to be anything physically wrong with her. We're treating her with a high dose of lorezapam. It's the most common drug used to treat catatonia. It—it's also known as Ativan, which I know she was already taking for her anxiety, though in a much lower dosage. We—we'll just have to wait and see."

Hank says, "Noriko's proven to be extremely resilient, Remy."

I give a terse nod. "And—Xavier?"

Hank looks sad and shrugs. "Again, nothing is physically wrong with him."

Logan says, "I'm goin' out for a smoke." I nod absently and silently decline the implied invitation. I sit at Nori's bedside and wait. I spend too much time here.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 (Logan)

I guess it's cold outside, but I don't seem to feel it. I'm still wearing the sweatpants and T-shirt I took from the jet. I did get shoes from my room, at least. Nori always scolds me when I do stuff like put out a cigar on my hand or go out in the snow barefoot. I always remind her I have a healing factor, and she shakes her head and says, "But you still feel pain, Logan." I guess since she grew up with Yuriko, she's never impressed by or afraid of my healing factor.

As a doctor, Jean was impressed by my healing factor, but not afraid. I remembered waking up in the medbay my first visit to Xaviers. I'd been so afraid I was back with Stryker (even if I hadn't remembered yet that that's who I was afraid of), but she'd still caught my eye. She'd been beautiful then, and she was still beautiful today. But different. Frightening. I'd been relieved to find that I could look at her now without lusting for her. I still cared about her, still found her beautiful, but my heart had found a home.

Still, I hated thinking about her and Scott with Sinister. I reminded myself that Nori had survived her time with Sinister more or less intact. On the other hand—Nori hadn't tried to fight Sinister. I was pretty sure Scott and Jean would. If they were in their right minds. Christ. This shit is complicated. But it would work out. It would.

I take a puff of my cigar and think back to Nori and Remy on the jet. Poor Nori. That power of hers had gotten her into some scrapes. But she'd always bounced back. Her sweet spirit was indomitable, it seemed, and I have every reason to hope she's got another comeback left in her. If she doesn't, it's going to ruin more lives than just hers. I'd been half-feral on the jet, but I could smell the pain on LeBeau when she'd shied away from him. I hope she snaps out of it soon.

When I'd first met Nori, I'd thought her naïve and ditzy. But I was wrong. She was clever, accomplished, and kind. She was kind without an ulterior motive; she was kind even though I'd been snide to her; she was kind even though I'd killed her sister. She spoke her mind and never minded coming across as silly, as long as she thought she was doing the right thing. I finish my cigar and decide to come in from the snow. Remy and I can wait for our girl together.

Remy's sitting in a metal chair with a blue padded seat, next to Nori's bed. His face is a study in composed blankness. Rachael and Cecilia are in there too. Great, my two favorite people. But I commit myself to playing nice. Rachael cares for Nori, I know, even if she has a bitchy way of showing it sometimes. And Cecilia's a pretty decent doctor as far as I hear. I've never had need for her services myself.

I nod to them in greeting and pull a chair next to Remy. I take his hand and he clutches mine tightly. "How is she?" I ask.

Remy shrugs. "Same as when you left."

We sit and watch her for a long time. At some point Rachael leaves and comes back down with some music. She plays Paul Simon for Nori. A few songs in, Remy starts crying quietly.

"Hey. Cajun. She's gonna be just fine."

"I hate listening to music without her," he says. I know exactly what he means. Her love of music and her projective empathy make even the worst pop song a thing of beauty. I put my arm around him and he puts his head on my shoulder. I guess we are not doing a great job of keeping our relationship a secret. But fuck it, Remy needs me right now. And we both need Nori.

Hank comes down eventually. He brings down some food for us and checks on Xavier and Nori. He spews out some medical-ese that I mentally translate to, "I have no idea what the hell happened here." I don't blame him. I don't think there are any doctors around who have dealt with a patient who rose from the dead and then fried the brains of two telepaths.

We eat dinner (well—I eat dinner, and everyone else picks at their food) and keep waiting. After another hour or so, Nori opens her eyes. We all beam. She looks around but clearly is having trouble focusing her eyes.

"Hey, _cher_," Remy coos. She looks up at him with difficulty. She blinks and then her face takes on a look of fear.

"No," she says. "Please."

Brokenly, Remy says, "_Cher_, it's me. Remy. I love you. I ain't gonna hurt you. Never."

She squeezes her eyes shut and I can smell fear rising from her. I decide to try a different tack, and in Japanese I say, "_Nori, how are you?"_

She shakes her head "no," but I can tell she's calmer. "_Nori, it's Logan. I love you. You're safe here, with us. With Remy. He's your husband, remember?"_

Nori makes a soft little sound. "_What are you so afraid of?"_ I ask.

"_Please_," she says.

"_The only people here are me, Remy, Rachael, and Cecilia. None of us are going to hurt you. We all love you."_

She doesn't respond, and I sigh. "_I promise, I'll protect you from whatever you're afraid of. I won't leave you. You're safe_."

Eyes still squeezed shut, she shakes her head.

"_Nori, open your eyes. Look again. It's just Remy. Remy, who loves you. Remy, who you love."_

She peeks up at Remy, who's crying and looking down at his hands. "Remy?" she whispers.

He sags with relief and smiles. "_Oui, cher,_ it's me."

Tentatively, she takes his hand and strokes it. "Remy," she sighs.

"How are you, _cher_? Love you."

She whimpers, but holds tight to his hand. Her eyes flicker between me and Remy. "We are here," she says. Her voice is full of wonder.

In a choked voice, Remy says, "_Oui, cher_, we are here."

She gives us a smile and then lies quietly for a long time. She's not asleep, but she's not exactly awake, either. Remy murmurs to her constantly, endearments and encouragements half in French, half in English. She doesn't respond, but I can tell she's listening and getting calmer. His seductive voice is incredibly soothing.

Eventually she drifts off to a full sleep. Remy sighs and says, "I'm going out for a smoke."

Rachael comes to take his empty seat. She looks at me and says, without preamble, "Look. It's not my place to judge, but I'm just wondering—are you—are you three in some kind of _ménage a trois_ relationship?"

I shrug. "Yeah."

Rachael sighs. "Well."

I say, "It'd be just great if you could postpone any kind of lecture until after she's out of the medbay."

"No… no lecture. You… you love her, don't you?" 

I nod. She says, "And Remy knows?"

I nod again. "Takes three to tango. The way we do it, anyway."

She gives a wan smile. "Well… good for you three." She pauses. "This must be hard for you." I nod. She strokes Nori's hand and then retreats to sit with Cecilia. Remy re-enters the medbay, and I inhale a big whiff of his clove cigarette smell. He sits down and takes my hand.

Another reason I wish Nori would wake up: I miss being able to telepathically talk about Rachael when she's in the room. Contrary to popular belief, I _do_ have some manners. But I want to tell Remy about the conversation Rachael and I had had earlier.

The hours blend into each other. I hate it in the medbay. The smells are all wrong. Too sterile, too unhealthy. Then there's the stink of anxiety rising off everyone else in the waiting room. The other adults in the school trickle in and out, sitting with Xavier and chatting with Remy and I. Remy eventually falls asleep with his head in my lap. Rachael and Cecilia go upstairs to sleep, though I'm told to call Cecilia or Hank immediately if anything happens. I settle in for the night, idly stroking Remy's silky hair and trying to find a comfortable spot on my chair.

Nori wakes up at some point, but she says nothing. I talk to her, tell her how important it is that she come back to us as soon as possible. She looks at me briefly and then fades back out.

The next morning, Aiko comes in to visit her aunt. I give her my chair and pace around the medbay. She says, "Aunt Nori doesn't feel right."

Remy says, "I know, _petite_."

"I mean, with my power. She doesn't feel… right."

"It's probably the medicine she's on," Remy says.

Aiko starts to cry. "She should stop taking it. She should stop, now. This isn't good."

Cecilia says, gently, "We'll take her off of it soon. It's just a short term measure."

"It's killing her spirit!" Aiko says shrilly.

Remy looks at Cecilia. "You know," he says. "Aiko's an empath, too. She… she can maybe see things that those machines don't."

Cecilia tightens her mouth. "I'll call Hank down," she says grudgingly.

Hank comes down and listens to Aiko. "Can you explain what you mean when you say it's 'killing her spirit'?" he asks.

"You don't believe me!" she says. "Neither of you believe me."

Hank says, "I understand that you are afraid for your aunt. She's had something scary happen to her, and now she's acting… strangely."

"I can see her! She is in there! But the medicine is like a black cloud all around her! It's trapping her with the other!"

I don't really like the sound of that, and I say, "What would happen if you took her off the medication? I mean, couldn't you just put her back on later if she needs?"

Hank and Cecilia both look at me sharply. Right. I'm not Nori's niece and I'm not her husband, so why am I even here? Fuck that.

Hank says, "Well—she's on a fairly high dose of lorezapam right now. If we stopped it abruptly, she could well experience withdrawal symptoms."

"Are those symptoms any worse than what she's got going on now?" Remy asks.

Hank says, "They can include seizures and anterograde amnesia. Ah, the inability to form new memories."

"_What_?" I ask. "Permanently?"

"Permanent anterograde amnesia is an extremely remote possibility. More likely it would only be a few days or so."

Remy sighs. "Well—can you just start taking her off of it? You know, slowly?"

Hank says, "Remy, may I speak with you privately?"

Remy glances briefly at Aiko, and nods. He follows Hank out into the hallway. I perk my ears and listen. Hank rattles off a long list of possible complications. He politely suggests that Remy might not be in the best state of mind to make medical decisions, and that Aiko has had less than a week to adapt to using her mutant power.

Remy says, "I know, I know. But if I've learned one thing from this life o'mine, it's to trust my gut. And my gut says to listen to Aiko. And, anyway, she's going to have to stop taking that drug sooner or later, _non_? So there would always be the risk of withdrawal?"

Hank sighs and says, "Very well."

Remy says, "_Merci_."

They step back into the medbay and Hank adjusts some settings on her IV drip. He says, "We'll reduce the dose gradually and have her off of it by tomorrow. The last traces of the drug should be out of her system in two or three days."

"Three days? No!" Aiko says.

Remy hugs her. "Hey, _petite_, that medicine is powerful stuff. We can't just take her off of it. It'll make her sick."

Aiko sobs. "It's making her sick now! It's killing her!"

"It is not killing her, Aiko," Hank says firmly.

"_She is burning_," Aiko says.

We look at Nori and I notice she's sweating. Her breathing is coming unevenly. Hank frowns and examines her.

"Running a fever… how long has she been like this?"

We shrug. Hank glances skeptically at Aiko.

We keep an anxious vigil around her for an hour. The fever rises, despite Hank's attempts at medication, and Nori shakes and shivers but doesn't wake up.

"_S'vous plait_, Hank, what if you took her off the medicine now? What's the worst that would happen?"

"I've already told you the worst that would happen."

Remy glances at me, and I nod. "Please, Hank, please just take her off of it."

Hank sighs. "At this point, I'm actually inclined to agree with you. But… this might not be pretty."

"It ain't pretty now, Hank," I say.

Hank shrugs. "I suppose you're right." He fusses with the IV for a moment and replaces the clear plastic bag with another. "This is just a saline drip," he says. "To keep her hydrated and to allow us to add other medications as necessary."

I get a damp washcloth and wipe Nori's face. Her hair is soaked through with sweat and she smells terrible. Her sweat is full of chemicals. We wait patiently, but not for long. Her reaction to being taken off the drug isn't instantaneous, but it's still remarkably fast. She stops shivering. Her fever drops, and she returns to a normal sleep.

We're just starting to relax and think that maybe things will be all right, when the medbay doors slide open and a familiar face reveals itself.

"Magneto," I snarl.

He sighs. "I assure you, Wolverine, I come in peace."

Aiko, still sitting next to Remy, looks up. "He's not lying," she says, though she still looks a little nervous.

Magneto takes in Nori and Xavier. "How are they?" he asks, brusquely. He's dressed casually in slacks and a sweater. No helmet. Maybe he did come in peace.

"They've been better," Remy says.

Magneto says, "I am sorry to hear that."

"What do you want, Magneto?" I ask, unable to bear another second of small talk.

He sighs. "I believe we are all in mortal danger."

"Same as it ever was," Remy says.

"No, Gambit, much graver than it ever was," Magneto says, sharply. "You do not know what Jean Grey has become."

"I think we have some idea," I say.

He shakes his head. "She could destroy us all, and I'm not entirely sure that isn't what Sinister has in mind."

"I thought you and Sinister were workin' together," Remy says.

Magneto says, "We entered into a certain agreement, yes. But now… I… I am afraid of what may come to pass."

"A little late for that," I growl.

"Wolverine, such childish behavior is not productive," Magneto scolds. I can feel my claws itching to come out. I try my best to keep them under control, and I pace back and forth.

Hank says, "So, Magneto, what exactly do you fear will come to pass?"

He sighs. "Sinister has a deep interest in the future child of Jean and Scott. He believes this child will be the most powerful mutant… ever."

"Are Jean and Scott in danger?" Hank asks.

"They are completely under Mesmero's control. I do not believe they are in danger, exactly. I don't think they are aware of their predicament."

"Well, if we're waiting on Scott and Jeannie to have some super-powerful kid, we got some time, right?" I ask. "Nine months, at least."

Magneto shakes his head. "By now, I'm sure Sinister has already harvested the necessary ingredients to grow a child in vitro. He no longer really needs Jean and Scott for that project. He no longer needs Scott at all. But Jean… Jean is extremely powerful. And extremely unstable. Charles _never_ should have blocked her power off the way he did… but, of course, it's a little late for that."

At that moment, Nori rises from the bed. She's glowing. "_I hunger!_" she says.

Magneto raises his eyebrows. "Seems that girl has a different power every time I see her."

"_She is not me!"_ Nori says.

"Jean?" Magneto asks.

Nori-Jean looks at him. Her face is terrifying. "_Erik, you know nothing."_

"Jeannie, where are you?" I ask.

"_I hunger_," Nori-Jean says, and she flies at Magneto. He takes a panicked step back, but she floats easily after him. She caresses his face with a flame-flicked hand.

Magneto screams and falls to the ground. Nori-Jean looks content, and suddenly, she's just plain Nori. She looks down at herself, down at Magneto, and over at the rest of us. She bends down and pokes Magneto. Hank comes over to join her.

He ain't dead, I can smell that much. I can smell Nori's tears. Hank picks Magneto up and puts him on an exam table. Remy gets up and guides Nori back to bed. She sits on the edge of it, trembling.

"What did I do?" she asks. "_What did I do?"_

Aiko looks at her. "She's gone, now. The Phoenix was making you sick, and the drugs were keeping her from leaving. But she's gone."

"Did I—did she—what happened to Magneto?"

Remy sits on the bed next to Nori and puts an arm around her.

"The Phoenix ate his spirit," Aiko said.

Nori nods.

"Um. Is the Phoenix coming back?" Cecilia asks.

Nori shrugs.

"No," Aiko says.

"I think perhaps we need to have a serious discussion," Hank says.

"Yeah, because it's all been fun and games until now," I say. Now that the drugs are starting to leave her system, I can feel Nori's empathy start to waft out. She's frightened. My girl's afraid, and that's not right. I feel a low growl in my throat, but I'm not sure if it's audible to anyone else.

Aiko looks me in the eye and, in Japanese, says, "_It will be okay, Uncle Logan._"

I'm made of adamantium, not stone, and my heart melts a little at that. She smiles.

Aiko gets grudgingly sent upstairs and the rest of the school's adults trickle downstairs to the medbay. Everyone is startled to see Magneto. Hank brings everyone up to speed on what's happened. Nori's eyes widen when she hears what Magneto had said.

Kurt looks nervously at Nori and says, "Please, excuse me for asking, but… how do we know that this… Phoenix… will not be returning?"

Nori shrugs. "No clue, Kurt."

"Aiko said the Phoenix was gone," I say.

"I'm not saying I don't think Aiko means well," Hank says. "But we cannot necessarily trust the instincts of a twelve-year-old empath."

"She was right about everything else," Remy says. "She's a good kid."

"It seems to me there's nothing we can do about it if she's wrong," Ororo says. "None of us could fight the Phoenix."

"Seems to me we don't have to fight the Phoenix. We have to fight Mesmero," I say.

Everyone looks at me. Hank nods. "Yes, I suppose… if Jean were left to her own devices, she wouldn't fight us."

"Well. We ain't had too much luck fighting Mesmero so far," Remy says.

Nori says, "What does Mesmero have to gain from this?"

"What?" Hank asks.

"What's his angle? Magneto said he made a deal with Sinister. Sinister wants… wants the baby. What did Magneto get? What is Mesmero getting?"

"That's a fair question, _cher_," Remy says, nodding.

"I wish we could talk to the Professor," she says. Then she bites her lip and says, "Maybe…" She rises from her bed and walks over to him. Remy trails behind her, pushing her IV stand, and the rest of us watch. She puts a hand on Xavier's cheek and closes her eyes. She hums.

After a few anxious moments, she pulls away and blinks. "He's… not here."

"He's… dead?" Ororo asks.

"Oh, no, no. He's alive. He's just not _here_," she says.

"Well, then, where is he?" I ask.

She shrugs unhappily. Remy rubs her shoulders.

"Right. So. What do we do?" Ororo asks.

Nori says, "Maybe—I could use Cerebro, and find them."

"Not a good idea," I say. "You've never done it alone before."

"You need to rest," Hank says.

"Maybe tomorrow," Nori says, sleepily.

"Maybe tomorrow," Remy agrees, helping her back to her bed.

She drifts out of the conversation. We continue to talk strategy for a while, but it's clear that we can't do much until we know where Sinister and Jean _are_. I think Nori's right. She's going to have to use Cerebro. I hope to God she's up to it.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 (Nori)

When I wake up, Rachael's sitting by my bed. She looks down at me anxiously. "Hey, Kiki. How are you?" she asks.

I shrug. "Weird," I say. "But alive."

"You've always been that way," she says with a wry smile.

I sit up and smile back. She hands me a mug of green tea, and I sip it.

"You're so brave, Nori," She blurts.

"Aw, I didn't do shit," I say.

She shakes her head, but she knows to drop it. "Cece said you were going to use Cerebro today?"

"Well, I'm going to try."

She looks at me for a long moment before saying, "Um, what's Cerebro?"

I laugh. "I don't even really know. It's some kind of machine that Xavier built. It magnifies telepathy."

"But you magnify powers, too."

"Well—it doesn't work on myself, I guess. I don't know. I—have to look for Jean. The Phoenix. Whatever."

"How does it work?"

I shrug. "I, um, I've only seen him use it a couple times." I don't tell her how terrified I was when Xavier suggested teaching me how to use it. This is different. I have to do it, for all of us. Stryker's not here. I take deep, even breaths. "But, it can't be that hard, right?"

Her grassy green hair twitches slightly and she says, "I hope not, Kiki."

"Sing with me, Rae," I say.

"Of course," she says. "What song?"

I tilt my head and consider. Then I start singing:

_Magpie comes a calling_

_Drops a marble from the sky_

_Tin roof sounds alarm_

_And wake up child_

"_Let this be a warning," says the magpie to the morning_

"Don't let this fading summer pass you by"

She joins me after the first line and harmonizes with me. Hank comes in halfway through the song and gently applauds when we finish.

"Very nice, ladies."

"Thanks, Hank."

"I take it you're feeling better?" he asks.

"Yeah," I say. The song had helped, too.

He gives me a faint smile. He checks my vitals and says, "You do seem to have made a remarkable recovery. I take it you've had no ill effects? No seizures?"

"Nope," I say. He glances at Rachael, and she nods.

"Excellent, excellent. I think I'll remove your IV drip. I'd like to keep you down here after I take it out for a little longer, for observation. But assuming all goes well, I see no reason why you cannot leave the medbay this morning."

"Oh, good. And then—can I use Cerebro?"

"We'll see," Hank says tersely. He takes out my IV and takes a blood sample. He goes next door to do whatever it is Hank does with blood samples. I eat my oatmeal. I reach out with my telepathy and gently search for Remy and Logan. I find Logan in our room, half-asleep. I assume that means Remy's in there, actually sleeping. It's good. They need their rest.

Rachael says, "Remy and Logan went upstairs to get some sleep."

"Good," I smile, politely pretending like I hadn't already found that out.

She hesitates. "So, the three of you are all… together?"

"Yes," I say. "I know it's unconventional, but… but it really works for us."

"I see it, Nori. They both love you so much."

"I'm a lucky woman," I say.

She smiles back. "No, they're two very lucky men. And I think they know it. And they… well, I think these are the two most self-assured people you've ever dated."

"They are probably two of the most self-assured people _alive_," I say with a quirk to my lips.

"Yeah. Well, good," she says. Rachael has long maintained that my main problem with relationships was dating people with low self-esteem, people who, in her words, were "afraid to let me shine." Logan and Remy certainly have no problem with that. "I'm happy for you, Kiki. Were… you ever going to tell me?"

"Ah, well, eventually. We've only been all together for like six months, I… wanted to be sure. And then, you never seemed crazy about Logan. Or Remy, for that matter."

"You have to admit. It takes a while for them to grow on a person."

"Not that long," I say, and I know I have a goofy smile on my face.

She rolls her eyes. Hank comes back into the medbay with his own goofy smile.

"Nori, I'm pleased to give you a clean bill of health."

"So… I can go upstairs?"

"You may," he says. "But, of course, do call or come back down if anything changes."

I stand up and strip the hospital bed of sheets. Hank smiles. "Thank you, Noriko."

"Welcome. Thanks for all the drugs, Hank," I say, and I put the sheets in the hamper on my way out.

Rachael laughs and follows me to the elevator. Upstairs, I find Remy still sleeping and Logan lying next to him with a magazine.

"Hey, darlin'," Logan says. "You all better?"

"Good as new," I say. I straddle him and kiss him. He gasps and puts his arms around my neck, pulling me down tightly.

Remy wakes up and says, "Hey, _cher_. What'd I miss?"

"Oh, not much," I say. I tilt my head toward him and he rolls on his side to kiss me. I open up our telepathic link. We communicate with something a little beyond words. Logan's missed us both. We haven't had sex since before Remy and I were kidnapped, and he's horny. But he doesn't want to do anything we—well, really, I—aren't up for. Too, he feels—possessive. He wants to lay claim to us. Remy's still a little hurt that I'd been afraid of him before and he wants to make sure I feel comfortable. But he always loves pleasing me—and being pleased.

And me? Physically, I feel fine. Mentally… a little shaken. But I want this... I want to cede control to them, for a moment. And, God, I'm horny too.

"You want to play, _cher_?"Remy croons.

"Mmm. I want to shower, first. And then I want to play."

Logan grunts. "Maybe you should just shower after. More efficient."

"I smell terrible," I say. I'd been drenched in sweat from my drug-and-Phoenix-induced fever. I feel gross, and I'm not sure even these two could make me feel sexy until I get it off of me.

"I think we'll be the judges of that," Logan says.

"Don't know, Logan, I wouldn't mind it if _la belle femme_ wants a shower." He nuzzles my neck. "Long as we're allowed to come help."

"Mmm. No complaints here," I say. I'm grateful for how small I am because otherwise there is no way all three of us would fit in the shower. As is, only one and a half of us even get wet at a time. Remy lovingly washes my hair and soaps down my body. Logan stands and watches.

We trade places and I wash Logan. His coarse hair is softer when wet, and I run my hands up and down him. He gives an involuntary little sigh. We trade places again, and he washes Remy. I stand at the back of the shower and shiver out of reach of the hot water. Logan can, I guess, hear me shivering, and he pulls me in between him and Remy.

"Thanks," I say.

Logan gives me a possessive smile. "Course, pet, we'll look after you."

I lower my eyes and blush. I don't remember which one of them started it, but they call me "pet" in the bedroom and something about it turns me the fuck on. They know it, too. They've threatened to buy me a collar. I don't think I would mind.

Logan runs a hand up and down my back while I clean Remy. Finally we get out of the shower and towel each other off. I grab a bottle of almond oil from the bathroom shelf and guide my boys back to the bed.

"I know how uncomfortable those medbay chairs are," I say, and I give them each a massage. The oil smells wonderful, and I love feeling their muscular backs under my fingers. I love hearing Remy's little sounds of enjoyment. Logan's quiet, but I can tell he likes it too.

Finally, I finish and put the oil on the bedside table.

"All right, pet, give me your hands," Logan commands. I obey and he puts a faux leather cuff on each of my wrists. Then he pushes me down on the bed and snaps the cuffs to the bedposts. Involuntarily, I pull on the cuffs, testing them.

"Uh-uh, pet, you can't get out until we let you," he says.

"I know," I say, breathing faster.

"Good girl," he says, He holds my face tightly and kisses me. I kiss back. His beard scratches my face but I don't care. And if I did, it wouldn't matter. "So beautiful," he murmurs. "Missed you so much."

"Missed you too," I whisper.

"All right, pet?" Logan asks, stroking one of my wrists.

I nod.

"Good," he says. He fastens cuffs to my ankles and ties them to the bedpost, forcing my legs apart. I squirm and hitch my hips. I'm already wet, and I know Logan knows. Our link lets us share a lot, but Logan's nose can pick up a lot of information on its own. Combined, it makes him terribly good at getting me as close as possible to orgasm and then teasingly pulling away. I hate and love how good he is at it.

Remy's sitting on the bed watching. I know Logan's really the one who likes getting me into bondage, but Remy likes having me there.

Logan rubs a finger between my legs. It comes out glistening and he presses it between my lips. I suck it clean and Logan adds a second finger to my mouth. His eyes are glittering. He moves his hands down to my nipples and teases them.

He replaces his hands with his mouth and I whimper. He licks and kisses and nibbles down my torso. He raises a bruise just inside my hipbone, and then he kisses it. He reaches my pussy and puts his tongue inside me. I gasp.

Remy carefully comes over and straddles my face. I crane my head and lick the tip of his cock.

"Mm, so good, _cher_," he says. He carefully gives me more and I awkwardly try my best to keep up. I look up at Remy's glazed red eyes. It's hard to keep my head still while Logan's bringing me so close to the edge. It's hard to breathe, and Remy pulls himself out of my mouth for a moment. I pant.

"Please," I whimper. "Please."

"Please, what?" Remy asks.

"Please let me come," I ask.

"Hmm… no," Logan says, sitting up.

I make a frustrated sound, and Logan laughs. "Not yet," he amends. I lie back and wait. There's not much else I can do in my current position.

Remy unties my wrists from the bed and pushes me up into a sitting position. Logan frees my ankles and I look at them expectantly.

"Why don't you get on your hands and knees, pet?" Remy asks.

"Now," Logan adds.

I bite my lip and change positions. Logan comes alongside me and nips at the back of my neck. He licks my ear and I tremble, trying to stay in my position. Remy kneels in front of me and I suck his cock. It's easier from this angle, and it's easier without Logan distracting me. I can tell Remy is close to the edge, but he pulls out and quickly puts a condom on. He comes around to fuck me, while Logan plays with my tits.

I whimper. I love feeling their touches, and I know Logan and Remy feel it through my empathy.

"God, _cher_, y'make me feel so good," Remy says. He holds tight to my hips and shudders as he comes inside me. He sighs and lies on his side. He reaches out and pets me. Logan comes behind me and slips right in.

"Christ, you're wet," he says.

I shiver. "Please can I come?"

"Soon," Logan whispers. He folds himself forward and bites my shoulder.

"Ow!" I say. He licks the bite.

He starts thrusting faster and I know he's close. Usually he lets me come when he does, and I squirm with anticipation.

"Mm, you're ready, aren't'cha?" Logan asks.

"Yes," I say. "Please, Logan, please, can I come?"

"Talkin' too much, Nori," he says. I catch a thought from Logan and Remy puts a few of his fingers in my mouth and I suck them.

"Maybe we'll have to get a gag for you," Logan says, breathing heavily.

I whimper around Remy's fingers and Logan and Remy chuckle. Damn them. Remy's other hand wanders over my body and Logan keeps fucking me. I moan and shiver. Despite Remy's fingers still in my mouth, I can hear myself making wanton sounds.

"All right, pet, you can come… now," Logan says, thrusting hard and slipping a finger to my clit.

I gasp and arch up against him. I bite down on Remy's fingers, and Logan shudders. His grip on my waist is bruisingly hard, and he climbs off of me. I collapse onto the bed and sigh.

Logan chuckles and kisses my throat. "Missed you, pet. You'd better not leave me again."

I shake my head "no." He gets up and puts antibiotic ointment on the bite mark he's left on my shoulder, then covers it with a band-aid. He strokes the band-aid with his thumb and I shiver.

"Now, pet, one good turn deserves another, don't you think?" Remy asks.

"If you say so," I say demurely. Despite the link. I'm not sure what he has in mind. I really just want to lie here for a minute, but I know I'll do what Remy says.

"Good girl," Remy says. He smoothes my hair out of the way and pours oil on my back. He massages me and I sigh under his strong fingers. "Love you so much," he says.

"Love you too," I say. I feel completely relaxed. Logan lies propped up on one elbow, watching us.

I smile and say, "Love you, Logan." Our telepathic link is brimming with affection.

Remy finishes rubbing my back and unbuckles my wrist cuffs. I snuggle against him and look over at Logan. He comes over to me and rests his rough cheek on my back. We lie twined together for a few minutes.

Finally, I say, "I guess we should get up now." Logan grumbles and Remy pouts. "Maybe in like five minutes," I amend.

Eventually we untangle ourselves. I take a quick shower and put clothes on. "I should try Cerebro now," I say. They gaze at me with concern. "I'm super relaxed right now. Probably the best time."

"Let's tell Hank," Remy says. I close my eyes for a second and tell him telepathically. We meet him in the basement. I kneel and open Cerebro. A creepy female voice says, "Welcome, Noriko." I knew that Xavier had added me to the access list for Cerebro, but I'd never heard it greet me before. All three men follow me inside, which seems maybe superfluous, but whatever. I kneel and put the helmet on.

I take deep breaths and focus. The wall transforms into a map. I find the red lights of mutants. I float around. I decide to look for Scott, since I know his mind well. The lights blink out as I eliminate possibilities. I look up and realize all of North America is out. Hmm. I keep going, methodically. I keep going. He's not in South America. He's not in Europe. Where the fuck is he? I look up and stare at a black map.

"Maybe I don't know how to do this," I say. "Or… " I trail off. Or maybe Scott is unconscious, or dead, but I don't say that.

Hank says, "Remember, Xavier had trouble finding you when you were with Mesmero. It could be…" he trails off, not wanting to say he doesn't think I can do it. Which is fair.

"Hey, I didn't check Antarctica yet," I say, trying to keep the tone light. But then I actually do focus and Antarctica glows like a Christmas tree. "Holy shit," I say.

"Is that him?" Logan asks.

"It's Jean. It… they might be there too, I don't know." I try to focus harder and let out a little gasp of pain. It's like my brain is on fire.

Remy touches my shoulder. "Fine," I say. "I'm fine." I relax my mental outreach. Antarctica is still glowing.

"You're sure this is Jean?" Hank asks.

"Well, pretty sure. I mean, I've never done this before, but… I mean, she's so much more powerful than anyone else out there." I pull the helmet off and blink. "Whoa." I feel dizzy.

"All right, _cher_?"

"Yeah. Give it a minute." I sit down cross-legged and try to catch my breath. He sits next to me and puts an arm around my shoulder. Logan narrows his eyes. "I'm fine, really," I say. It doesn't sound super convincing, even to me, and he glares.

After a moment of deep breathing, I ask, "So, uh, are we going to Antarctica? And can we bring back a penguin?"

Remy laughs. "I'll get you a dozen penguins, _cher_."

"The mansion does not have a habitat that would properly sustain a penguin," Hank says.

"I know," I say contritely. "But they're so cute." I roll to my feet and say, "Let's get out of here."

Once we're outside Cerebro, I look up at the three of them. "Should I call a meeting?"

Hank sighs. "Let's wait until school is out. The students' classes have been so disrupted lately. But you did a great job, Nori. Why don't you take the afternoon off? Logan, Remy—can you train the students this afternoon? It's Thursday."

We all nod. I feel a selfish pang. I could have taught my class this morning instead of fucking. But, honestly, I'd lost track of what day it was. And, well, we'd all needed it. After Logan and Remy go down to the DR, I find Rachael and we play music together. I'm feeling happy and centered when Hank finds me and asks me to call everyone to the Sit Room. I send out a thought and apologetically leave Rachael in the living room.

I sit on a metal chair in the Sit Room and feel remarkably stable. I found Jean and Scott. The Phoenix is (maybe) finished with me. I'm not on any psychotropic medications. I might get to see a real wild penguin. Things are good, or at least, they could be worse.

NOTE: The song quoted is "Magpie to the Morning" by Neko Case.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 (Remy)

I sit in the Sit Room and listen to Nori explaining how she'd found Jean in Antarctica. I try, with some success, not to think about the way her pretty lips had looked wrapped around my cock a few short hours ago.

"Antarctica?" Marrow asks skeptically. "Like, where the penguins live and stuff?"

Nori lights up. "Yes! Where the penguins are!" Then she looks a little sheepish and says, "Yeah, I don't know why she'd be there. But, um, she is."

"What about Magneto?" Storm asks. "Has he made any improvements?"

Hank shakes his head "no," and says, "He is in the same condition as Professor Xavier. Neither of them shows any signs of physical harm. But—they are unresponsive to stimuli. Nori has a theory that—the Phoenix has… consumed their energy."

"Well, can the Phoenix spit it back up?" Logan asks.

Nori shrugs. "I hope so," she says. "I think—it's just a hunch, but I think Jean will be able to do it, once she's out of Mesmero's control." It suddenly occurs to me to wonder why the Phoenix hadn't—eaten, or whatever it did to people—Nori. Thank God it didn't. Is it going to? Nori glances at me and sends me a little flutter of reassurance with her empathy. I look at Logan and realize the same thought must have occurred to him. This is something he can't fight, and he's not crazy about the idea.

Marrow says, "'Scuse me, but, the Phoenix has come through Nori like five times now, and it's—eaten two people. How do we know we can trust her?"

Logan growls faintly. Nori gives a gentle smile and says, "I don't know, honestly."

Hank says, "I think that the Phoenix has severed its connection to Nori. She was experiencing significant physical and mental symptoms when it was linked to her."

"Yeah, that was the funnest," Nori says.

"Also, Aiko said the Phoenix was gone," I add.

Marrow still looks suspicious, but she nods.

"Well, what are we gonna do?" Logan asks.

"I think Nori was right, before, to suggest that we need to target Mesmero."

"Do we know for sure that Mesmero is with Jean?" Ororo asks.

Nori shakes her head. "No," she says softly. "Jean kind of—overpowered everything else."

Logan says, "Look, we can talk all we want, but we know we're going to Antarctica. We might as well leave now."

I bite back a laugh. Ororo says, "I must agree. I think that Echo, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Marrow, and Gambit should go. Magma, Beast, Cecilia—you stay."

Hank raises his eyebrows. "And if—someone should require medical attention?"

Ororo says, grimly, "You saw the Phoenix. If anybody _really_ gets hurt, you probably wouldn't be able to help anyway. And you—you should be here for the children. But we should still take those tranquilizers you had before. And—what was the drug you gave Nori?"

"Lorezapam?"

"Let's take some of that, too. Just in case," Ororo says. "Will we need to modify the jet for such cold weather?"

"We'll be sure to run a thorough pre-flight check, both here and when you leave Antarctica. But our Blackbird has had a number of significant modifications. It should be fine. And if it is too cold for takeoff—perhaps you can warm things up," Hank replies with a smile.

Ororo nods. "Very well. Let's go suit up."

We grab our jumpsuits, Ororo points out a large cabinet full of black parkas.

"Wow, Xavier prepared for everything," I say.

"Just about," Logan says.

Nori peeks up at Logan and me from under a black, fur-lined hood. Her face is lit up like a thief in a jewelry store, and she says, "You _guys_. We're going to _Antarctica_."

I grin back at her. "Yep, _cher_, we're goin' to a frozen wasteland to fight a super-powerful mutant. A perfect vacation."

Her smile dims slightly, and she says, "We're going to _where the penguins live_ to _save_ a super-powerful mutant."

I push her hood down and kiss her forehead. "_Ma fille douce_," I say.

Hank and Ro are finishing the pre-flight check when Mystique and Pyro stroll into the hangar. Logan growls, and Nori looks skittish. The last time she'd seen Mystique, she'd gotten a pretty nasty concussion. I step in front of her and she peeks out behind my arm.

Pyro laughs. "Scared, Echo?"

"Yes," she says. The honesty momentarily freezes Pyro in his tracks.

"What do you want?" I ask.

Mystique glares at Pyro and at us. "Where is Erik?"

"He's in the medbay," Nori says. She tries to step out, but I sweep my arm around to keep her behind me. Logan's standing close behind her, hands on her shoulders.

Mystique sighs. "I'm not going to hurt her."

"That's fine," I say. "You can not hurt her from there."

Mystique rolls her eyes and says, "Is he all right?"

"He's… comatose," Nori says. "The Phoenix… attacked him."

"The Phoenix? Girl, you don't know what you're talking about."

Nori nods. "The Phoenix used me as a… vehicle. We have some kind of link. Since I'm the one who… helped Jean." Mystique looks at her hard. Nori says, "Honestly, Mystique, I couldn't make this shit up. I have a feeling you know more about this than I do. He's in the medbay, with Xavier. Same thing happened to him. We… an empath here says that… the Phoenix ate their spirits?"

Mystique narrows her eyes. "Judging by your ridiculous garments, I'd guess you're going to Sinister's Antarctic base?"

We glance at each other, startled. Nori says, "Uh, we didn't know Sinister had a base there, but, yeah, we were going to Antarctica."

Mystique says. "We'll come with you."

Logan says, "Absolutely not."

Nori nudges him and says, telepathically, _Logan… play nice. I think… they could help. They… I trust them on this._

_You trust everyone, darlin', _he thinks back.

_I'm also a telepath_, she responds.

Aloud, I say, "Maybe we should wait and talk to Beast and Stormy 'bout this."

Nori shrugs. Telepathically, she says, _I don't think we're really in a position to turn down help_.

"Do you want to see him? Magneto?" Nori asks.

Mystique's face softens almost imperceptibly. "Yes, I would."

"He's in the medbay. We'll go with you," Nori says.

"I _know_ where the medbay is," Pyro says.

I smile brightly. "Still, we'd hate to deprive you of our company." Logan, Nori, and I lead Mystique and Pyro to the medbay. We wait quietly by the door while Mystique examines Magneto. He's laying on a hospital bed hooked up to an IV and some monitors.

"He's on the same stuff as Xavier," Nori offers. "I'm not sure, what it is, exactly."

Mystique nods and strokes Magneto's hair. "Right," she says. "Let's go visit the Phoenix."

When we return to the hangar, Kurt and Marrow are standing by the jet. They look at us, looks at Mystique and Pyro, and back to us. "What is going on?" Kurt asks in his softly accented voice.

"We came to see what happened to Magneto," Mystique says.

Kurt whips his tail in agitation, but says nothing.

Hank and Ororo come out of the jet. Their lack of surprise tells me that Nori's given then a telepathic heads-up. "Hello, Mystique," Hank says. "What brings you here?"

She tilts her head to one side. "We came to see what happened to Magneto. We would like to accompany you to Antarctica."

"I think we could use their help," Nori says. "They know something we don't know."

"We know many things you do not know," Mystique says with a sneer.

Nori telepathically links the entire team and says, _Look. We can use their help. We don't even really know where we're going. All I could narrow it down to was a _continent._ And if it's a trap, well, I think we can take the two of them._

Everyone shifts uncomfortably. "Very well," Hank says.

"Do you guys want parkas?" Nori asks. "You should probably have parkas." Mystique and Pyro make no response, and Nori says, "Yeah, I'll go get them."

I follow her. In the hallway, I say, "You sure you're okay with all this, _cher_?"

"I'm… more okay with it than I am with a lot of the shit that's happened over the last few weeks. Or, well, over the last five years."

We stop in front of the cabinet and Nori says, "I look super cute in this parka, right Remy?"

I grin and kiss her. "Indeed you do, _cher_."

She looks pleased and picks up two more parkas. "I don't know if Mystique really needs a parka or not, but it's like, pretty cold there, right? I feel like I'm saying the word 'parka' a lot."

I laugh and take a parka from her. "C'mon, _cher_, let's go look at the penguins."

"Yes! Fabulous!"

When we get back to the hangar, I hand my parka to Pyro with a warning glare. He'd felt so personally betrayed when Nori had left the Brotherhood and he was always happy for the chance to lash out at her. And she's so sensitive. I'll knock his face in if he hurts her.

Nori gives her parka to Mystique with a little shrug. "I thought you might get cold, even." Mystique accepts the parka with a nod.

"Well—let's go, then," Logan says gruffly.

Hank nods. "We're ready for takeoff."

We all board the jet. Logan and I maneuver Nori into a seat between the two of us. Her empathy sends out affection and exasperation. I nudge her and she opens our telepathic link.

_If either of them touches you, I will kill them,_ Logan thinks.

Nori replies, _I appreciate the sentiment, but I'd really prefer you didn't. Anyway… they're with us, for now._

_They left you and Remy and Aiko to die_, he thinks, furiously.

Nori's empathy washes sadness over us. _I know_, she replies. _Strange bedfellows._

She turns to look back at Mystique, "So," she says. "What did you hope to get from the Phoenix?"

Nori's guileless interrogation technique isn't always successful, but it seems to work on Mystique, who replies, "We made our bargain with Sinister. He wanted the Phoenix. We wanted Sinister."

"What for?"

"We wanted his scientific skills."

Nori sighs. "Look. You guys almost killed me to get the Phoenix. Can't you just give me a straightforward answer? What was it we almost died for?"

Mystique's lips thin. "Worthington Enterprises had nearly completed their _cure_. We wanted Sinister to create a vaccine."

"Oh," Nori says. "Did he?"

"Well, yes," Mystique says, sullenly. "But he only gave us five doses and he won't tell us the formula. It isn't the deal we made."

I nod. I'd _thought_ Magneto had looked surprised when Sinister had teleported, taking Mesmero, Scott, and Jean with him.

"And Mesmero—where did he come from?" Nori asks.

"We found him in a carnival sideshow. He—he betrayed us."

"How about that?" Logan asks, derisively.

Nori puts her hand on his with a gentle look of warning.

"What is your plan?" Mystique asks.

Nori glances at the rest of us before saying, "We were kind of just hoping to tranquilize Mesmero or something. We… we're assuming that if he's incapacitated, Scott and Jean will be… normal. Or… they won't fight us. Which, how is Mesmero even controlling Jean? She's so powerful."

Mystique shrugs. "He's very good at what he does."

"Well," Nori asks. "What's _your_ plan?"

"About the same," Mystique admits. "I agree, Mesmero is the key. But Sinister's no easy mark himself."

I nod. "That is for sure."

"What does Mesmero want?" Nori asks.

Mystique shrugs. "The usual. World domination. And I think he's a bit taken with Jean, as well."

Nori scrunches her nose in disgust. "Ew." I thank my stars that Mesmero hadn't been taken with Nori. Wait. Would we remember if he had? I think we would. At least, that's what I choose to believe.

"Wait," Nori says. "World domination? Like what does that even _mean_? Practically speaking?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure how well-considered his plan is," Mystique says.

"Men," Nori says, with a dismissive headshake. Mystique gives a cat-like smile.

We reach Antarctica and circle around the huge frozen continent. Hank uses some kind of fancy sensors to search for life, and Nori uses her telepathy. The telepathy wins, and Ro puts the jet down in a snowbank that's virtually identical to every other snowbank, except that Nori insists that the Phoenix is inside of it.

We leave the jet and are instantly hit by a freezing wind. I feel like it's cutting right through me. Each breath freezes my lungs. Nori snuggles against me. Through chattering teeth, she says, "I like this more on the Discovery Channel."

Ororo's eyes go white and the wind stills. It's still cold, but it no longer feels like death by frostbite is imminent.

Mystique has morphed her body into appropriate cold weather gear, which she's topped with a black Xavier's parka. I wonder if her faux-clothing keeps her warm. If she feels cold, she's not showing it. She confidently strides to a certain point and sweeps away a little snow. There's a hole in the snow, the edges coated in ice. We shiver and stare at it. It looks like some kind of air ventilation system. Wolverine shrugs and jumps down into the hole.

Nori gasps and peers down after him, calling, "Logan?"

He calls up, "It's maybe 20 feet. You guys probably shouldn't jump. This connects to a ventilation system or something, though. There's a tunnel going out."

"Nightcrawler?" Beast asks.

Kurt nods and says, "Wolverine, is there a light or anything? I need to be able to see."

"Not as far as I can tell," Wolverine calls. "You have a flashlight or anything?"

"Pyro, your lighter," Nori says.

Pyro scowls. Mystique says, "Pyro, give it to him. We need to get in there."

Pyro grudgingly throws it down the hatch and Logan catches it. He holds it aloft. "Take me first," Mystique demands.

Kurt glances at Storm, who nods. He awkwardly puts his arms around Mystique and takes her down. In the blink of an eye, he's back up.

Logan calls, "Gettin' crowded down here. I think we'll start out into the tunnel. Echo, can you link us?"

"Yeah," Nori says. She closes her eyes and opens up a link.

_We're in_, Logan sends. _It's a tight fit, but doable. Beast and Storm... you might want to wait up top._

Hank frowns. "We'll let you know if we find... another way in," Nori says. One by one, Kurt takes the rest of us down into the tunnel. He takes Nori second-to-last, and me last. We crawl through the tunnel.

Before too long, Logan announces_, It comes out in a lab or something. It's empty right now. But I can smell people nearby._

Sure enough, after a few more minutes we pop out in an empty, sterile lab. Nori looks around and says, "Wait a minute, I've been here before. Oh my God. I can't _believe _Sinister took me to Antarctica and I didn't get to see even one penguin!"

I bite back a laugh. I'm relieved she's not having flashbacks. She says, "Hey. I'm breaking the link and I'm just going to try to shield us from Mesmero. I'm not sure if I can, by myself, but..." She shrugs. "You know."

I feel the link disappear, but I can't feel a shield. I hope it's there. I hope it's working. I don't want to fall under his control again.

We cautiously follow Wolverine through the underground base. I keep an arm around Nori. She's putting a lot of energy into shielding us and she's only halfway paying attention to her surroundings. I have playing cards palmed in my other hand. We emerge in a kitchen. Sinister, Mesmero, Jean, and Scott are eating sandwiches. It's kind of surreal. Quicker than anything, Nightcrawler teleports over to Mesmero and Sinister and jabs them both with something. Way to go, Kurt! I didn't even know that was the plan. I guess if we're fighting a telepath, it's for the best if not all of us know the plan.

Mesmero collapses instantly. Sinister just smiles. Fuck. Jean and Scott blink dazedly. I know how they feel.

"Vincent?" Jean asks, looking at Mesmero. "No!"

Vincent? Was Mesmero Vincent? What the fuck?

"Did you really think it would be so easy?" Sinister asks. He summons his telekinesis to push us all against the wall. We struggle, but he's powerful. Much stronger than Nori.

"Hey, Jeannie. It's us," Logan calls. "Come help us."

"I don't think Miss Grey is in any position to help you," Sinister sneers.

Jean transforms to her fire form and flies at Kurt. "_What did you do to Vincent_?"

Scott watches, frightened and confused.

"Jean! It is only a tranquilizer. Please forgive me, he will be fine," Kurt says. "Jean, you are not yourself."

I glance at Nori. She has a distant look on her face that tells me she's up to something, but I don't know what. I look around and notice that Scott seems to be gaining clarity.

"Jean!" he cries. "Jean, stop it."

Jean hesitates, still burning. "Scott?"

"Yes, Jean! It's me. Jean, I missed you so much, I don't know… Jean, come back to me."

Suddenly, Sinister turns his head. With his pupilless eyes, it's hard to tell, but I think he's looking at Nori. "Clever, Miss Oyama. Very clever. But not clever enough. Don't forget, I made you what you are. How can you expect to fight me?" He makes a small gesture with his hand and she screams. She goes limp and would have fallen to the ground if his telekinesis weren't holding her in place, but she doesn't lose consciousness. She just keeps screaming, obviously in terrible agony.

I don't care if Sinister is immortal, I will _kill_ him for this.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 (Logan)

I cannot bear Nori's agonized cries for another second. I scream with rage and fight as hard as I can against Sinister's telekinetic bonds, but they are impossibly strong. My vision goes red and I'm completely overwhelmed by everything going on in this room—Nori's screaming, I'm screaming, Scott's pleading, Jean's burning and waiting. If this isn't Hell, I don't know what is.

"Sinister, just stop it," I hear Remy plead. "Y'proved your point. Stop hurting her, please!"

"Stop? But I'm just getting started," Sinister says. He smiles cruelly and Nori's screams somehow get louder and more desperate. I can smell that she's pissed herself.

Suddenly, Scott hits Sinister with one of his blasts. I will never, ever say a word against Cyclops again. (Well… maybe I shouldn't make promises I can't keep. But I'm damned grateful.)

Briefly distracted, Sinister stops his onslaught against Nori. She stops screaming. She's still slumped limply in her telekinetic bonds, sobbing quietly.

Sinister hisses and glares at Scott, but nothing happens. A look of genuine surprise crosses his face, and he wheels and turns to Kurt.

"Herr Wagner, what did you do?" he asks, his voice nasty.

Kurt smiles. "It was not tranquilizer I gave you," he says.

"_What was it_?" Sinister asks.

Kurt shakes his head. Then, to my horror, Nori floats out to the middle of the room. Her arms and legs stretch out stiffly, making an X out of her body. "Herr Wagner, you may have done something to my telepathy, but my telekinesis still works. If you do not tell me what you have done to me, I will rip your friends to pieces while you watch. Starting with Miss Oyama."

Nori remains perfectly still, even her face. Telepathically, she reaches out to Remy and I. _Remy, Logan, I love you. I love you so much._

I start to cry at that, at Nori's tacit acknowledgment of her impending death. _Nori, you're going to be just fine. He won't do it, _I try to say. _Kurt will tell him._

I think back to the letter she'd written for Aiko. Had she known? How could she have known? I renew my fruitless struggles against Sinister's bonds.

_I love you, cher_, Remy says. _You're the best thing that ever happened to me. _He's crying too.

Nervously, Kurt says, "_Nein_, Sinister, please. It—it was a drug. I forget what it is called. Dr. McCoy gave some to Nori, before, and—and it made her telepathy stop working. So—I thought—to give it to you."

Sinister walks up and slaps Kurt across the face. I smell blood. Kurt hisses, but says nothing. Scott flies across the room and joins the rest of us along the wall. Nori returns to the wall, none too gently. She makes a small, whimpery sound that does absolutely nothing to diminish my urge to kill Sinister.

Sinister says, "Now, Phoenix, my dear, are you hungry?"

"_Yes, I hunger,_" Jean says, glowing brightly.

This does not bode well for us.

"Look here," Sinister says. "What a nice meal for you. So many powers. So much energy. Feed, my dear."

"_Yes_," Jean says, and she flies at Scott.

"No!" I shout. "Jean! It's Scott! Don't do this! Don't do this!" But it's too late. She engulfs Scott and he collapses forward against the telekinetic bonds, unconscious.

A horrified silence falls over us. What has happened to Jean? Jean looks at Scott and blinks.

"Scott?" she asks in her normal tone of voice. "Oh, God, Scott." She screams with rage and turns to her fire form. She flies at Sinister.

"Jean! No!" Sinister says, but he's powerless to stop her. She engulfs him and he falls to the floor. When he loses consciousness, our telekinetic bonds dissolve. Remy and I both go to Nori and envelop her in a tight hug. She cries softly.

After a moment, she says telepathically, _Kind of hard to breathe now, guys_. Remy laughs and we both step back. She takes a deep breath and then Remy hugs her again. Still trembling, she turns to hug me too, pressing her face into my chest.

Jean watches us closely. Nori looks up at her and smiles warily.

"Can you help me?" Jean asks brokenly. "I think I killed Scott."

"I don't think he's dead," Nori says. "And I'll try to help you." Remy and I each glance at each other. Nori's still pale and she's leaning heavily on me. I don't think she's in any shape to help anyone.

"Jean… could you come with us? I don't think we should stay here," Nori says gently. The rest of us watch with bated breath.

Jean nods. "Yes…"

I turn and pick up Scott and carry him out the way we came.

Nori says, "I told Hank we're coming back. He said they're warming up the jet."

We make our way slowly back to the air vent we came in through.

Jean looks at it and turns to her fire form.

Nori says, "Easy, Jean. We can get through this." She's not Mesmero, but she's pretty persuasive. She smiles encouragingly, and Jean returns to her normal form.

"Sorry," she murmurs, shaking her head.

"Jean, will you help me?" Nori asks. "We can use telekinesis to get Scott through this air vent. Okay?"

"Okay," Jean says.

Kurt goes through the tunnel first, and then I go. Scott floats behind me. It's real weird.

Nori follows Scott, and then Jean. Kurt takes us all up to the top in turn. Hank is startled to see Scott unconscious, and he takes Scott from Kurt and holds him. When Hank sees Jean, he gives an enormous grin. "Jean!"

She looks at him warily.

"She's not… exactly… herself," I say quietly.

"Please God can we get on the Blackbird now?" Nori asks.

"Yes—of course," Hank says, taking in her pale, shaky form. He reaches in his pocket and clicks something, and the jet's ramp slides down. Remy guides her up into the jet. He hates the cold even more than she does, I know. I wait outside with Hank and Jean while everyone else boards the jet. By the time I get on the jet, Nori's already half-asleep with her head tucked against Remy's chest while he whispers to her in French. I'm surprised she made it as long as she did. I guess she knew she had to.

Jeannie looks around skittishly. I decide to leave Nori with Remy and sit with Jean. I hope she's not still hungry.

"Hey, Jeannie, it's Logan. Y'remember me?"

She nods. "Where's Scott?"

"Scott's… restin', darlin'. He's up front," I say, jerking my chin forward at him.

Jean looks troubled, but she nods. I take her hand. "Missed you, Jeannie. I… I'm glad you're here," I say, and it's true, even if I'm afraid of what she's become.

"Where was I?" she asks,

"I don't know," I reply, honestly.

We sit quietly. I don't know what to say, and even if I did, I wouldn't want to say it when Mystique and Pyro are sneering in the row behind us. Don't know what their attitude is about—ain't like they were any help down there.

We're somewhere over the Atlantic when Nori starts sending out horrible empathic waves. She's having a nightmare. God knows I've felt her nightmares before, but this is a bad one. Not that I blame her after what she just went through.

Jean looks at me with glowing red eyes. "Something's happening," she says.

I call out, "Cajun, you'd better wake her up."

He makes no response, and I unbuckle myself to investigate. Remy's asleep too, one arm curled around Nori. She's leaning against him and making small, anxious sounds. Jean turns to her fire form and follows me over to them. Not good.

"Nori, wake up!" I yell, shaking her. "Nori!" She wakes up with a gasp, and Remy opens his eyes too. He looks vaguely guilty, and then frightened when he notices Jean. But as soon as Nori wakes up, Jean reverts to her usual form and looks embarrassed.

"Hey," Nori says softly.

Jean says, "You're the one who… the one who… you called me."

"Yes," Nori says. Remy and I both exchange glances. I'm not at all sure if Jean is grateful to have been called back, and I'm not sure how she'll respond. And I don't think I can protect Nori from Jean.

But Jean gives a small smile and says, "Thank you. I… I was lost. I couldn't find my way."

Nori smiles back. "I'm glad I could help."

"Nori… I… I borrowed you. I'm sorry."

"No harm done," Nori says, though that's not quite true.

I take Jean's hand and say, "Let's sit down. We can talk more when we get home, all right, darlin'?" She nods and lets me guide her back to our seats. I frown when I realize Nori's empathy is blocked off. She only shields from me when she's in a bad mood. Again, I don't blame her, but I still hate it. I hate that she almost died today. These last few weeks have forced me to reflect upon the fact that Nori and Remy are going to die one day. They're going to get old (if they're lucky) and they are going to die. And me? Will I ever get old?

I'm still missing plenty of memories, but I know I've already outlived two women I loved—three if you count Jean. How much more of this can I bear?

It feels like a week before we make it back to the mansion, though it's really only a few more hours. Remy takes Nori upstairs, and I follow Jean and Hank, bearing an unconscious Scott, down to the medbay. Mystique and Pyro come too. I try my best to ignore them. I want to focus on trying to help Jean.

Jean surveys Xavier, Erik, and Scott and her eyes go red. "Oh, God. I did this."

I take Jean's hand and Hank says gently, "Can you help them, Jean?"

"I don't know…" she closes her eyes and kneels next to Scott. "Scott," she whispers. "Scott, come back to me." I sigh, watching her try to communicate with her fiancé. It's not that I'm jealous, not exactly. But this is damned weird. I sit and watch quietly. It doesn't seem like she's having any success. I know Pyro wants to make some kind of jab, but even that cocky asshole is afraid of Jean now.

Nori and Remy appear in the medbay. Nori's showered and dressed in yoga pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Her face looks slightly distant and fearful, and she's still shielding. Jean looks up at them.

"Hi, Nori," Jean says.

"Hello," Nori says quietly. She glances at Mystique and Pyro, but says nothing to them.

Remy keeps a protective hand on her shoulder and he extends his right hand to Jean, leaning down slightly to reach her. "Hello, Mademoiselle Grey. Remy LeBeau, at your service."

She takes his hand and gives him an intent look. "Ah. You are hers," she says.

He smiles. "Yes, I suppose I am."

"Nori, help me," Jean says.

Nori bites her lip. "Of course," she says softly. "I'll try."

I watch with a pang of fear. It had taken so long for her to recover from her previous visits from the Phoenix. I can tell Hank has reservations too, but none of us want to upset Jean.

Nori kneels beside Jean and takes her hand. Remy and I stand side by side and watch. Telepathically, she says, _Love you two. Don't worry. I'll be okay. _

Then she shuts off the link and she and Jean both disappear to someplace I can't follow. Her face looks sweetly dreamy and Jean's looks fierce. They kneel together in silence for a long time. I begin pacing around the room. Finally, Jean says, "This is pointless!" Her eyes flash red. "I don't know what I did. I don't know how to undo it. It's impossible."

"Hey, sweetie, no it's not. We just have to figure out how… how your new powers work," Nori says reassuringly. "The same thing happened to me. Well, kind of. I guess."

Jean glares. "_You know nothing,"_ she says, glowing red. Remy and I instantly move to put ourselves between the two women. Remy shields Nori and I put my hands on Jean's shoulders. It burns my hands, but I hold tight.

Jean backs down and blinks. "Oh, no, I'm so sorry," she says.

Nori smiles. "It's okay. I know—it can be hard to control your powers."

I say, "Maybe you should try Xavier, first. Maybe he could help."

"_Cher_, you feel up for that?" Remy asks.

She looks exhausted. I know it must have been draining for Nori to use her powers so much, especially after what she went through today. But I hope Jean doesn't have to wait another day for Scott to wake up. She's powerful and unstable.

"It's okay," Nori says. "I think I have another try in me. I think that's a good idea, to try to help Xavier. If that's okay with you, Jean?"

"Yes," Jean says. "Yes." She kneels next to Xavier and Nori joins her.

Nori hums to herself and Jean glows faintly. We all watch carefully, and Hank gasps when the monitors flicker. Xavier opens his eyes. Nori looks delighted. She stands up and leans back against Remy, who puts his arms around her and looks unbelievably relieved.

"Professor, what did I do?" Jean asks. Her voice is desperate.

"Jean?" Xavier asks. He sounds confused. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Jean says.

Remy guides Nori to a chair. She looks around blankly. "You all right, _cherie_?"

"Fine," she says quietly.

Hank swoops in and starts checking on Xavier. I keep pacing back and forth and observe. Jean is confused and upset. Xavier is confused and delighted to see Jean. Suddenly, Nori starts sending out nightmarish empathic projections. She's fallen asleep in her chair. Jean transforms into the Phoenix, and Remy quickly shakes Nori awake. She sighs and blinks up at Jean.

"God, I'm so sorry," Jean says.

"Fascinating," Xavier says.

"Is it fascinating?" Remy snaps.

Nori tucks her knees up against her chest. "It's okay, Remy."

"It's _not_ okay, _cher_. You've been through too much these last few weeks, and now this Phoenix is trying to, to eat you or something. And you keep putting yourself in danger. Don't you know—don't you know what would happen if anything happened to you? Don't you know how many people would be hurt? And Xavier here has the nerve to call it 'fascinating.' I don't know if this place is safe for you any more." This is as angry as I've ever seen the easy-going Cajun.

"No place is safe, Remy," she whispers. Normally, I know she'd try harder to reassure him, but she's tired and spooked.

Xavier says, "Remy, why don't you take Nori up to bed?"

Remy gives a brief glare before saying, "Yes, fine."

Nori says, "Are you going to be okay?"

Xavier nods. "We'll be all right. Remy's right, Nori. You should rest."

Jean's eyes glow red as she watches the argument. Nori blinks and says, "Okay. Good night. Take care."

She stands up and puts an arm around Remy's waist. She sends me a questioning glance and I shrug. I feel like I'm needed here. Remy and Nori function as a pair. They happily accept me as an orbiting satellite, but don't require my presence. And I'm still shaken from watching Nori's torture earlier today. I need a little break from her.

I watch Xavier and Jean. They must be conversing telepathically, and I'm not invited. That's fine. I sit and think about Remy's words to the Professor. Xavier was a good enough guy, but he thought he knew what was best for everyone. He was the one who was responsible for the Phoenix, really. He was the one who'd kept my past from me. He had helped Nori, but I was sure that if it came down to it, he would risk her life for Jean's. He couldn't help himself. Jean was like a daughter to him, and he'd already lost her once.

Finally, Jean appears to sleep. I decide to head outside for a smoke before Xavier can ask me to leave. Then I go upstairs and lie down in my own bed. It feels empty, but I don't want to disturb Nori and Remy (well, really just Nori-Remy can sleep through anything) at this hour. I wake up around four with my heart pumping and my claws out. Watching Sinister torture Nori had given me a new nightmare for my collection, which was already pretty elaborate. I take deep breaths and selfishly wish I were in Nori and Remy's room. Nori's always sweet to me after my nightmares. But she's been through enough today, and the un-selfish part of me is glad I'm not there to disturb her. I lie back in bed and catch my breath for a few minutes, but I know I'm not going to fall back to sleep. I pad down to the medbay. Mystique and Pyro are both sleeping there on extra cots. Mystique opens a single yellow eye upon hearing me enter, but she closes it again.

I sit and wait for morning to come, for this whole mess to get resolved.

NOTE: I just feel like I have to say that I think it's totally weird that Sinister's base is in Antarctica, but it's CANON. I can only conclude that Sinister also loves penguins.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 (Nori)

When I wake up, there's more sunlight in the room than usual. I blink and fight my way through the Ambien haze. I hate taking it-I always feel like a zombie for the first hour of the day. But there's no denying it makes me sleep, so I hadn't argued with Remy when he'd handed me a pill last night. God knows I needed a little rest, and the Ambien had even kept my nightmares away. I'm not sure why, but my nightmares seem to attract the Phoenix.

I stretch my arms and look over at Remy. He's sitting up in bed beside me and he gives me a slow grin. "Mornin', _cher_."

"Hey," I say. I curl up and rest my head against his chest.

He strokes my hair and says, "I brought up some tea for you, but it's cold now."

"What? How long have I been asleep?"

"It's nine," he says.

"How long have you been awake?" It isn't like him to be up early if he doesn't have to be.

"Oh, a few hours." He hesitates before adding, "Just had a little bit of a bad dream is all."

"Why didn't you wake me?" And how did I manage to sleep through it?

"Y'needed your sleep, _cher_. Anyway, just seein' that you were here and still breathin', that was enough for me."

It sounds like a sappy line but in this case I'm pretty sure it's true. I shiver. I was so sure I was going to die yesterday, and I know everyone else thought so too.

"This bed feels enormous with just the two of us," I say.

"I'm not enough for you, _cher_?" he asks.

I laugh and pull his face down for a gentle kiss."You're too much for me, love," I say, and he really is. When we'd first met, I'd been hesitant about involving myself with Remy LeBeau. He was handsome and impossibly charming, and I'd loved flirting with him. But I didn't know if I could trust him-I didn't know what was beneath that bewitching veneer. But it turned out that Remy is simply charming and loving down to the core. He'd learned to use his charm for cons because he had to-and I can't deny that he enjoyed that work, or at least parts of it. But now he's happy to use that charm for no reason other than to make me smile.(Or to talk me out of my clothes, but that's rarely a hard sell.)

He kisses me again, a little harder, and then pulls back. "You were so brave yesterday, _cher_."

"I wasn't brave. I just... I just did what I had to do."

"Pretty much the definition of bravery, _ma mie_."

"I'm so glad you were there, Remy."

He scoffs. "You think I'd let you go face Sinister and Mesmero without me? Never. So long as I'm in my right mind, my place is by your side."

I rest my head against his chest again and sigh, murmuring, "I love you so much." I gently focus my empathy on him and project little waves of contentment and affection.

"Love you too, _cherie_. Don't... don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well. I'm here," I say. I give him one more kiss before rising and getting dressed. Remy watches me, a tender expression on his face.

"C'mon, Remy, let's go get some new tea." I pick up the mug and sniff the cold tea. I take an experimental sip, but it's awful.

"All right, _cher_, just let me get dressed," he says.

I roll my eyes. "Five minutes, LeBeau. The clock's running."

He laughs. "_Cher_, not all of us can look as good as you without a little prep time." Ugh, how did he just turn my jab at his vanity into a compliment for me? He's good. I sit on the bed and grin at him.

Four minutes and fifty-nine seconds later, Remy nonchalantly asks, "Well, _cher_, ready for breakfast?" I roll my eyes and take his offered elbow. I breathe in the scent of his cologne and feel warm inside. Downstairs, I make myself a fresh cup of tea and savor it. Remy makes me oatmeal with raisins and brings it over to me. Sometimes he reminds me of a small child seeking approval. He's always doing sweet little things for me, and then waiting expectantly to see if he'll be praised. I'm happy to do it, though. He deserves it, and I don't think he got much of it as a child.

"Thanks, love," I say, offering him a big smile.

He smiles back and sips his coffee. "Anything for you, _cher_."

"Didn't you make any for yourself?" I ask.

"I had something earlier."

I nod and eat my oatmeal. It's a little undercooked, but it was made with love. When I'm finished, I put my bowl in the dishwasher and say, "Let's go down to the medbay."

Remy looks sullen at that idea. "Are you sure you're ready to go back down there, _cher_? I know it ain't easy for you."

"Let's just see how they're doing."

"All right," Remy says reluctantly. "But please, _cher_, don't push yourself too hard."

"I promise." He sighs and goes downstairs with me. I've been at Xavier's for over two years now and the difference between the shiny, futuristic basement and the antique upper levels of the house still startles me. In the medbay, we find Logan pacing. Hank, Xavier, and Jean are sitting together and conversing quietly. Xavier's back in his wheelchair. He looks alert. His mental presence had been easy to find with Jean. Not like Scott's, which had seemed... drained.

Scott and Erik are still unconscious. Mystique and Pyro are gone. I stretch out with my telepathy and find them in the gym.

Logan gives me a concerned look. I give him a hug. The other three don't seem to have noticed our entrance, and I say, "Good morning."

They turn to look at me. Jean has a strange look in her eyes. Xavier gives me a terse smile and says, "Good morning, Nori."

"How is everyone?" I ask.

"Nori, please help me," Jean says.

Remy and Logan make small, disapproving rustles. But I say, "Of course."

I open my telepathic link to Remy and Logan and say, _If one of you were hurt like this, you'd better believe I'd ask everyone I could think of to help you._

_Nori, she's the one who hurt Scott_, Remy points out.

_It wasn't her fault_, I think.

"I didn't mean to hurt him," Jean says. Was she eavesdropping? I try to keep my expression neutral. She says, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, either. It just... just happened."

I smile at her. "I understand, Jean. Let's try to help Scott."

In my head, Xavier says, _Nori, she's very powerful. Be careful._ Um, duh, I think. Xavier probably heard me think that. Jean probably heard it too. Whatever.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Jean says. "It just happens."

"I know," I say. We kneel next to Jean. Magnifying her power is like nothing I've ever felt before. Her energy glows so brightly. It blinds my mind's eye. But I've done it before. I know what I'm looking for. I know what my limits are. I reach out and twine my energy with Jean's. I try to twine them both with Scott's, but Scott's energy has been worn down to a nub. There's barely anything left of Scott there, but there's something. I'm well-rested. I'm up to this task. I think. I hope.

I tighten my control. It's like picking up a playing card with tweezers. Remy could do this, I think, and I smile to myself. I picture myself with Remy's long, delicate fingers, and I use them to pluck at Scott's energy. I manage to grasp it a few times, but it falls out of my touch. I suck my lips and keep trying. It's so hard. But finally, _finally_, I get it. I pull it out long and thin like taffy. I connect it to Jean. I watch, startled, as the strand of Scott's power begins to pull something out from Jean. Of course. Jean/Phoenix consumed Scott's power. But he needs it back. He's getting it back. It's working! I'm so excited to watch it play out that I barely notice when my vision starts to go white.

When I wake up, Remy's looking at me. He's angry, worried, happy.

"Oh," I say. "Did I pass out?"

"Yes, _cher_."

"Sorry," I say, which I guess is dumb. It's not like I did it on purpose. It's just that Remy looks so hurt.

He smiles. "I guess I forgive you, _ma mie_."

"Hey. Did it work? Is Scott okay?"

Remy comes behind me and says, "Why don't you sit up and see for yourself?" I do, with his hands on my shoulders. I see Scott and Jean sitting on an exam table, their arms around each other and talking quietly.

"Yay," I say.

"You did good," Logan rumbles. I turn my head and see him standing behind me.

"Thanks, Logan," I say. I take stock of my situation. I'm still wearing my regular clothes, and I don't even have an IV in. I must not have been out for very long. Lazily, I open a link to the two of them and send out wordless affection.

They sigh. Remy squeezes my shoulders and Logan comes closer and ruffles my hair. Xavier wheels himself over to us. He smiles at me. "Good job, Nori. Thank you."

"Yes, of course," I say.

"Perhaps you should rest," he says. "You and Jean can try to help Erik later."

"What time is it?" I ask.

"It's almost twelve."

"Noon?"

"Yes."

"I want to teach my class. It's still at one, right?"

Xavier blinks. "Are you sure you feel up to that?"

"Yes. Yes. I haven't taught my class in like a month."

"No one expects you to return to teaching so soon after—after everything," Xavier reassures me.

"But I miss it," I say. "I miss them. And I am fine."

"Well—very well," Xavier says. "But don't push yourself too hard."

I smile. "Teaching music is like not that physically demanding."

Xavier nods. "All right. But take care of yourself, Nori."

"Remy will make sure that I do," I say. Xavier laughs, and Remy tightens his grip on my shoulders.

"You hungry, _cher_?" he asks, ignoring Xavier.

"Yeah," I say. Using my power like that always makes me hungry. And tired. Honestly, it reduces me to being a cranky toddler. Though not as cranky as Remy is right now.

"Let's go to lunch, then," he says. I nod and climb down off the bed. Remy and Logan flank me.

In the hallway, I say, "I'm fine, you know. It isn't like I'm an eighty-year-old woman."

Pyro comes out of the locker room and approaches us. He's damp, freshly showered. "Taking your sweet time about healing Magneto, huh, Echo?"

I look up at him and say, gently, "We're going to try this afternoon, Pyro. It isn't easy, you know."

He sneers. "You've always been weak."

"She ain't weak, Pyro. She's tougher than you by far," Remy says.

"It's not a contest," I say. "Pyro, I promise I will do everything I can to help Magneto. It's just, it's just a matter of time. I need to rest. Jean... needs to rest. To focus."

Logan spits out, "Why should you, Nori? You've nearly died twice this month because of him."

I tighten my mouth. "He's doing what he thinks is right. And so am I. And so are you. Let's go now."

Logan turns to glare at Pyro over his shoulder as we leave.

"Echo..." Pyro says.

"Yes?" I say, turning back to look at him. I can't help it. There is a place in my heart for John, there always will be, no matter what he's become.

"I didn't want you to die," he says, barely above a whisper.

"Thank you," I say. "I didn't want to die either." Logan and Remy both put an arm around my shoulders and they propel me forward. "I will try, Pyro," I say over my shoulder.

In the elevator, Logan bends down and gives me a desperate kiss. I kiss him back. Remy slides himself between us and the door, just as it opens on the first floor. I pull away. Telepathically, I say, _More later._

He nods and gives me a sad, longing look. It scares me a little. _You okay?_ I ask him, privately.

_I'm... this is hard,_ he replies.

_I know,_ I reply. _It's hard. But it's all right. Everything will be all right. _I step out of the elevator. We eat lunch in the dining hall, not the small staff kitchen. The kids buzz with excitement to see us. They glance over at our table, and I smile at them. Kitty comes over and hugs me.

"Ms. LeBeau, are you all right?" she asks. "I was worried about you."

"I'm fine, Kitty," I say. "How are you?"

"It's been really—it's been really hard here, without—without everyone."

"I know. But we're back now. I'll see you in class this afternoon."

She smiles. "You're coming back to class?" she asks, excitedly.

"Yes, of course."

"Oh, great. I mean, Ms. Shapiro is nice, and all, but, um, we missed you."

"I missed you all, too."

She gives me a fleeting smile and returns to her table. I see her talk to the other kids at her table, and they all look over at us. I smile at them. I eat slow spoonfuls of black bean soup.

Remy pouts. "She didn't miss _my _class."

"She did," I say. "It's just that she has a little bit of a crush on you and it makes it hard for her to talk to you."

He laughs. "So, how come you talk to me, then?"

"Because I am very brave, my love."

Logan laughs at our exchange. His face looks the most relaxed I've seen it in ages. But then, that was probably the most normal conversation Remy and I've had in some time. "That you are, darlin'," he says.

I finish eating and go get ready for class. We have it in the living room, since that's where the big piano is. Kitty's spread the word that I'm planning to return, and all the students are there early.

I smile widely at them. "Hi, you guys. I missed you."

Most of them come up to hug me, and I tear up a little. I manage to keep myself from crying outright, which is a miracle.

"All right," I say. "Let's warm up." I lead them through goofy exercises, humming and "me may me moo ma may moo"-ing.

They sound good. They've clearly been practicing, and I praise them freely. They sing "Seasons of Love," which we've been working on for a long time. I can't help myself; I join in. I love singing, I love these kids, I love everything. I'm feeling overwhelmed with love when Phoenix-Jean bursts in the door. A few of the kids shriek. Some back against the wall. Those with any kind of armor or defense enact it. I walk up to Jean and say calmly, "Hey, Jean, what's going on?"

"_I want this," _ she says.

"Okay," I say. "Why don't we go outside and talk about this in the hallway?"

She makes no response, and I say, "Okay, or, just, here." I close my eyes and think for a moment. I pull a shield down over my empathy. Jean abruptly returns to normal.

"Oh. Oh no," she says. "I'm so sorry." She starts weeping and leaves the room.

"Um. I'm sorry, guys, you were really great, we'll... we'll do this again soon, I promise," I say, trailing her out of the room.

Brave Sam Guthrie follows us. "Are you going to be all right, Ms. LeBeau?"

"Yes, Sam, thank you. Go... you guys can practice without me, please. She'll be fine. We'll be fine. Yes."

"Let me come with you."

"No, Sam. Thank you—but please stay here."

He looks skeptical, but he lets me go. Physically, he could overpower me easily. (Hell, even without using his mutant powers, the kid's still a foot taller than me.) But I'm a teacher, and he's a student, and he listens to me.

I reach out with my telepathy and find Jean out in the garden. It's March, and I'm not dressed warmly enough. I shiver and say, "Jean, come back inside. Everything's fine."

"It _isn't_ fine," she snaps. "I don't want to hurt you. Don't want to hurt anyone. But I just—I don't know what comes over me."

I say, "It's strong emotions. You're drawn to strong emotions. And I have them."

She blinks. "Oh. Well. That makes sense. But... what am I supposed to do about that?"

"Well, I don't know. But I'm sure... I'm sure we can figure something out. With the Professor."

Scott comes outside and finds us. "Jean!" he cries. "Sam told me... told me... something happened."

She gives a sad smile. "I didn't mean to."

"Of course you didn't, hon." He looks at me. "Nori? Are you okay?"

"Just fine," I say, trying not to shiver.

"Uh huh," he says. "Well... why don't you go inside? It's too cold out."

I glance at Jean. She smiles at me and says, "Yes, go."

"Okay," I say. "I'll see you later."

I head inside and go up to our bedroom. Logan and Remy are in the gym with their class, and I want to cry. I wish they were here with me. I sigh and pull down a shield over my empathy. I don't need Jean coming over to try to devour my sadness, or whatever it is she does.

I sit down in lotus position and try to meditate. I give up after a few minutes. I think about yoga, but instead I pick up a magazine and read it. I'm lying on the couch reading about Neil Young when Remy and Logan come in. They're freshly showered after training with the students.

"Hey, guys. How was class?" I ask.

"Just fine," Remy says. "I heard yours was... interesting."

"Yeah. But, I think I figured it out... Jean's drawn to strong emotions. That's what sets off the Phoenix. She came to my class because I was so happy to be there."

Remy smiles. "Well... glad you're happy, _cher_."

"So, wait, what does that mean?" Logan asks. "Whenever someone feels something strongly around Jean, she's going to flip out?"

I shrug. "Not sure. But it does have to be pretty strong. Because, it's pretty much just been me, right? And I project. So those are more than just a regular feeling."

"That's for sure," Remy agrees.

"So... stop projecting until Jean figures this out, okay, darlin'?" Logan asks.

"Yeah. That seems wise," I agree. I shake my foot anxiously. Logan gives me a sad look with those deep, dark eyes of his. I sit up and pat the loveseat, and he comes to sit next to me. I snuggle up against him. I know this must be hard for Remy and Logan—they're fighters, and they can't fight Jean. I can't either, but I can negotiate with her, I guess.

"It'll be okay," I whisper. He says nothing, but he tightens his arm around me. I look up at him, and he still looks so sad. "What's _wrong_, Logan?"

He shakes his head. "Nothin'."

I let out an exasperated sigh. I could easily just pluck it from his mind, but I try so hard not to use my telepathy for things like that. He should be allowed to have his secrets, even if they are making him sad. I lean forward and kiss his cheek and say, "You can tell us, whenever you're ready to talk about it."

Remy says, "_Cher_, it's you."

"What?" I ask.

"It was so hard... so hard to watch that happening to you."

Logan's arm around me tightens further. If it gets any tighter, I think I'll get bruises. But I don't want to tell him that. "It wasn't like super awesome to have it happen to me, you know," I say. "But it's over."

Logan snorts. "Is it? Jean's still the Phoenix, half the Brotherhood's still in the basement, and I'm not at all convinced that Sinister is down for the count."

I shrug. "Then we'll deal with that when it comes. But the present is what we have right now. And right now, things are okay."

I can tell Logan is still tense, but I don't know what else I can say to him. I let down my shield a tiny bit and send out reassurance with my empathy.

He jerks away. "Don't! Don't use that. And don't think you can just make me think everything's okay. It's not."

I put my shield back up and pull my knees up to my chest. "Sorry," I whisper.

Logan sighs. "I should go," he says. "I should... I should go."

"You don't have to," I say.

"Yeah. I do." He stalks out of the room. Remy comes to take his place on the loveseat, putting his arm around me.

"I just wanted..." I say.

"You want us to be happy," Remy supplies.

I nod.

"But you can't force it, _cher_."

My eyes tear up. "I know, I just... I just... I'm sorry."

He laughs gently and kisses my forehead. "I don't mind it none, _cherie_. I'm just... I'm just glad you're here."

"Love you," I say.

"I know," he replies.

I laugh and curl into his chest. My breathing slows and I guess I fall asleep. I wake up when there's a knock at the door.

"Who's there?" Remy calls.

"It's Scott."

"Come in," Remy replies. I sit up and smoothe back my hair.

Scott comes in and looks a little awkward. "Sit down," I say. He nods and takes the desk chair.

"How are you, Scott?" I ask.

"I'm okay," he says. "I'm okay. How are you?"

"Just fine," I say.

He nods. "Nori... thank you. You... brought me back."

"Of course, Scott. I'm so glad it worked."

"Is everything okay? With Jean?" Remy asks.

"Define 'okay,'" Scott says wryly, and I laugh. Remy does not.

"We'll figure it out," I say.

"Well," Scott says. "I just wanted... to thank you. And, um, when you're ready... you know, to try.. to revive Magneto... Jean's ready. I guess."

"Thanks, Scott. We'll be down in a second."

"Thanks, Nori. See you down there."

He turns and leaves the room. I stand up and pull one of my business cards out of my desk drawer. On the back of it, I write in careful Japanese characters, "Love you. Come back when you're ready. Don't forget us." I rub it between my hands, letting my scent permeate the card. Then I slip next door and put the card in the pocket of Logan's leather jacket.

"What was that about, _cher_?" Remy asks.

"I gotta feeling Logan's gonna bolt soon. Just want him to remember where to come back to."

Remy smiles. "How could he forget?"

Feeling like an insecure teenage girl, but compelled to ask, I say, "You're not going to leave me too, are you?"

His face goes serious and he says, "Never, _cher_. I promise." He takes my hand, and I feel his wedding band against my fingers. It shouldn't reassure me, seeing as how he was married to Belladonna when we'd met, but it does. I know the difference between the forced commitment he'd made to her and the one he'd freely made to me.

"Okay. Good," I say. He bends down and kisses me sweetly. He is the best. I say, "Come on, love, let's go see if I can bring that egomaniac asshole back to life."

"You sure about that?"

I shrug. "He's getting old. We can probably just push him down some stairs if we change our mind about wanting him alive."

Remy laughs and says, "Fair enough, _cher_. Let's go." We take the elevator down to the gleaming basement. I take a deep breath and prepare myself to help Magneto. By my count, Magneto had saved my life once and then left me to die twice. I considered my debt to him paid, but what the hell. It never hurt to have a little extra good karma, right? Was it even good karma to save a man who'd tried to murder every human on earth? Philisophy 101 my freshman year had _not_ prepared me for this shit.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 (Remy)

I hate being in the medbay. I know that no one at Xavier's is going to experiment on me—not without my consent, anyway—but I still hate it. But if Nori's down here, I'll be with her. Especially when the Brotherhood's around.

Nori and I go inside and find it pretty full. Jean, Scott, Xavier, Hank, and Cecilia are all clustered around, looking at images of brain scans or something projected on a glowing white screen. Pyro and Mystique are leaning against the back wall, looking suspicious and alert.

"Hey, everybody," Nori says softly. Everyone looks up at us.

"Hey, Nori," Jean says. The two women lock eyes. I wish they did not have this connection to each other, but Nori seems to be taking it in stride. She's funny-she gets upset about little things, like animated movies and roadkill, but she often handles major crises with aplomb (as long as she doesn't give herself a panic attack).

"How are you, Jean?"

Jean shrugs. "The usual. Undead."

Nori smiles. "Yeah. Well-shall we?" she asks, nodding at Magneto.

Jean smiles back. "I suppose so."

Nori steps forward and takes Jean's hand. They walk over to Magneto. Mystique takes a few steps closer and watches with her flat yellow eyes. Nori takes Magneto's hand and stands there connecting two of the most dangerous people in the world. She closes her eyes and hums a bit, then falls quiet. From the outside, it looks like nothing is happening. They remain silently connected for maybe half an hour, which feels much longer. Then Jean gasps and gives off a slight glow. The glow stops, and Magneto's eyes flutter open. Nori takes a groggy step back. I come up behind her and put my hands on her shoulders.

"Erik?" Xavier asks.

"What happened?" Magneto asks. "Where was I?" He sits up and looks around. "Jean?"

Scott comes over and puts his arm around Jean. I give a little smile at that; both of us instinctively trying to protect our women, though Nori and Jean could probably better handle Magneto than either of us.

"You okay, _cher_?" I ask softly.

"Yeah," she says. "A little tired. But okay." Pyro looks at her across the room. His expression is difficult to read. If he says anything to hurt Nori, I will send him through a wall. But he's quiet.

I take Nori's arm and guide her over to a chair. She sits without protest, and we watch as Xavier tries to explain to Magneto what's happened, what the Phoenix can do.

"Sinister betrayed us," Mystique says flatly.

"What did you hope to gain from him?" Xavier asks.

"The vaccine. They're going to _cure_ us, Charles. They're going to make us like _them_."

"Ah. Did you get it?" Xavier asks.

"Yes," Mystique says. "But he only gave us enough to treat five mutants."

"Do you have a sample? Perhaps we could replicate it here," Hank says. Magneto and Mystique look at each other. Hank says, "I assure you, I am just as invested as you are in preventing mutants from being 'cured' against their consent. And Jean and I are both rather skilled scientists ourselves."

"Perhaps you are," Magneto says. "Yes, we could provide you with a sample to study."

"Are you even sure it works?" Hank asks. "Sinister already changed his end of the bargain. What makes you sure he didn't change it altogether?"

"Sinister is a man who puts a high level of value on his level of scientific skill. I think that, for the challenge of it alone, he would correctly engineer the vaccine. But you are correct, we should test it," Magneto concedes.

"It probably does work," Nori says. "I mean, he rewrote my DNA as, like, a home improvement project, but he was super offended when I suggested it wasn't the best idea. But, well, it worked."

Magneto snorts with laughter. The memory of that still makes my face flush with anger, though Nori truly hasn't suffered any ill effects from Sinister's experiment.

Scott says, "Why don't we reconvene tonight and discuss options? Jean, Nori, and Magneto should rest."

Nori nods. I'm sure she's exhausted.

Magneto and Mystique exchange glances. Pyro tries to pretend like he isn't being left out of the decision-making process, and Magneto says, "Yes, we can wait until tonight."

Hank nods. "We'll bring some food down for you all."

Magneto nods in response.

"Let's go, Nori," I say.

"See you later," she says vaguely. She puts an arm around my waist and leans against me. Once we're out in the hallway I put my arms around her and pick her up. "I can _walk_, Remy," she says.

"I know," I say. "I just like holding you." This is true. I love feeling her soft, warm body in my arms. And while I don't doubt her ability to walk, I know she's pretty worn out. She sighs and positions her arms around my neck. I tip my face forward and kiss her. Another reason I like carrying her: it brings her face closer to mine.

"Get a _room_, you guys," I hear. I half-turn and see Pyro standing in the hallway. I roll my eyes and don't respond.

"We're on our way there," Nori says mildly. I keep walking. I can't think of anything Pyro could have to say to her that wouldn't be hurtful.

He follows us down the hallway and blurts out, "You saved him."

"Of course," she says. "I told you I'd try."

He keeps following us, and when we reach the elevator, he flicks his lighter anxiously and mumbles, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she says, giving him a big, surprised smile. In the elevator, she kisses me again. Lord, that woman knows how to use her tongue. Upstairs, I gently set her down on the bed. She pulls me down next to her, and I recognize the look in her eyes.

"_Cher_," I start, cursing myself for what I'm about to say. "You sure you don't need to rest?" In response, she straddles my lap and kisses me, hard. I feel my cock start to respond beneath her. And why shouldn't it? My lovely wife is on my lap and we haven't been having near as much sex as usual the last month.

"Pretty sure, love," she breathes. She kisses me again. When our lips part, I move my mouth to kiss and suck her earlobes and throat. She's soft against my lips. I get some of her hair caught in my mouth and try to pretend like I don't notice. She laughs gently and unbuttons my shirt, running her hands up and down my chest. She licks and kisses her way down my torso. I lie back and gasp as she undoes my pants and takes me into her mouth. I tangle my fingers in her hair and say, "Christ, _cher_, feels so good... _mon Dieu_."

When I'm close to coming, she sits up, licking her lips. She uses her TK to call over a condom, which she hands to me while she shimmies out of her jeans. I slide all the way out of my pants and roll the condom on without complaint. (Nori apologetically told me that she can't take hormonal birth control because it makes her, in her words, "totally fucking crazy." And we're agreed on no kids. Sometimes I feel a little sad about that—once in awhile I imagine us with a pretty baby girl, with Nori's eyes and Nori's smile. But mostly, I know we're right. With the lives we live, we have no business bringing a kid into the world.)

I slide Nori's shirt over her head. She carefully straddles me and slips my cock into her. I suck in a breath. It feels so good. I'm almost always on top, but I love it this way, too. (Let's be honest, there isn't really a sexual position I _don't_ like.) I watch her breasts bounce as she rides me. She makes soft little sounds. I reach up and play with her nipples and the sounds intensify. I murmur to her half-coherently. It doesn't take too long for us both to get close to the edge. I move one hand down to her clit and start teasing it.

She bites her lip and says, "Yes, please, please, a little harder... God, Remy!" She sucks in a breath and shudders out an orgasm. I lift my hips under her and thrust against her faster and come shortly after she does. I lie back and catch my breath. She carefully climbs off of me and lays on her side next to me, gently kissing me. I pull the condom off my softening cock, tie it off, and throw it in the bedside trash can. I lie back down and she curls against my chest.

"Love you," she murmurs.

"Love you too," I say. Still naked, she falls asleep curled against me. I _knew_ she needed to rest. I smile to myself and pull a blanket over us. I'm lying in a pleasant post-sex haze when I hear someone try the doorknob. I'm glad we remembered to lock it, but I assume it's Logan. Anyone else would have knocked, and Logan has a key.

Sure enough, I hear a key turn in the lock and Logan comes in. I wave at him. He sniffs the air, and I know he can tell we just had sex. Well, he would have been invited too, if he hadn't been in such a snit.

Nori stirs but doesn't wake. Logan's face softens when he sees that she's asleep. Logan tries to pretend like he's Monsieur Gruff Loner all the time, but when it comes to Nori he's pretty much a teddy bear. He comes to lie on his side on top of the blanket, one arm over Nori. She snuggles down between us.

"How's she doin'?" Logan asks softly.

"Just fine, _mon coeur_. And y'self?"

He shakes his head. "Don't know, Remy. Don't like any of this."

Nori gives a sleepy stretch and says, "You don't like _anything_, Logan."

He gives a startled chuckle. "That ain't true, darlin'."

"Basically," she says, but her tone is gentle.

"Look," Logan says. "This... I think I need to get out of here for a bit."

"I know," Nori says. "But you'd better come back."

He leans forward and kisses her. "You think I could just leave you two behind?"

She makes a contented sound and closes her eyes again. I meet Logan's eyes. I think he would leave us, if he had to. But does he know that he doesn't have to?

"Leave tomorrow, then," I say. "Stay here tonight."

"Yeah. All right," Logan says. "You two goin' to dinner?"

I stroke Nori's hair and say, "Maybe when she wakes up. She's been usin' her powers a lot. Needs to rest." Logan nods in response. "Stay here," I suggest. "We can get leftovers later."

"All right." He lets out a quiet sigh and lies with us.

In her sleep, Nori starts sending out sweet, content projections. No nightmare, at least not right now.

"You think the Phoenix is gonna-?" Logan starts.

I cut him off and say, quietly but sharply, "We'll wake her up if she comes. Otherwise... let her sleep." He nods. We lie together and enjoy the sensation of Nori's dreams.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 (Logan)

NOTE: I mean, the whole story is rated M, but this chapter specifically has a pretty graphic sex scene. Whether this is warning or enticement is up to you.

* * *

><p>I lie quietly watching Remy and Nori sleep. They're perfect, and they don't need me ruining things for them. I wish I could regret entangling myself with them, but I can't. I love them both, and I know they love me. That's what makes this so goddamn hard for me.<p>

Nori wakes up around eight. She smiles at me. "_Anata_," she says, and her voice is full of affection.

"Hey, darlin'," I say, using the English equivalent of her Japanese term. "You feel better?"

"Yeah. Just needed a little sleep."

"You've been pretty busy," I say.

"_Tell_ me about it," she says, dramatically. Her face grows serious, and she says, "Logan, I'm sorry. For before."

I shake my head. "Don't be, darlin'. It's just—I'm just in a mood. Ain't your fault. You're doing what you need to do. I just wish—I just want to keep you safe."

"I know you do, Logan. But sometimes I'm the one who can keep people safe. Let me."

I sigh. "Don't mean I have to like it."

"Desire causes suffering, Logan. Let go of things that are beyond your control. You'll be happier."

I give her an exasperated look, but her face remains serene. The Eastern philosophies she spouts always sound extremely familiar to me. I still haven't recovered all the memories of my time in Japan, but I must have been there long enough to learn the principles of Zen Buddhism.

"Let's get dinner," she says, nudging Remy.

He wakes up and smiles at her. His face is so open and gentle when he looks at her. When he looks at me, it's a little more complicated, but still loving. Unselfconsciously, they climb out from under the blanket and throw some clothes back on. Nori sits next to me on the bed and we watch Remy preen for a moment.

Finally, we head down to the kitchen. I'm hungry, like usual. Nori eats baby carrots and hummus while Remy and I eat leftover chicken. We're chewing in relative silence when Scott comes in.

"Can you guys come down to the Sit Room in 15 minutes or so?" he asks without preamble.

"Sure," Nori says, quickly, before either Remy or I can say something sarcastic. She smiles.

Scott nods and offers a wan smile in return. The kid's been through a lot. I have to give him credit for how he's handling everything. Not that I plan to tell him that. "See you there, then," he says, leaving the kitchen. Nori goes to the fridge and comes back with a bag of red grapes. She washes them and eats them slowly, clearly relishing them.

"_Cher_, you going to eat any actual food?" Remy asks.

"This is all actual food. I have not eaten a single cardboard prop."

I smile, watching them banter. In my opinion, both of them could stand to gain a few pounds, but Remy always insists that Nori doesn't eat enough. Generally, Nori pretends to be annoyed about the fuss but is actually touched by it, though sometimes Remy gets a little too insistent.

Nori sighs. "I think there's some three-bean salad in there. I'll eat some of that. Happy, love?"

"Delighted," he says, giving her a Cheshire cat grin. She gets a Tupperware container out of the fridge and eats about four bites before switching back to grapes.

Before too long, she puts everything away and says, "Well. I guess we should get to the Sit Room."

Remy says, "Or we could run away to the beach."

"I hate the beach," I say.

"Of course you do," Nori says. "So we'd better just go to the Sit Room."

She takes both of us by the hand and guides us downstairs. Everyone else—including the Brotherhood—is already there, though the meeting doesn't really appear to have started. Pyro gives us a calculating look. I give him a quick glare before turning to look at Cyke. He nods and says, "Let's get started." Since not everyone has been practically living in the medbay like I have, he brings everyone up to speed on Jean, the Phoenix, the cure, the vaccine, Sinister… it all sounds absurd when it's summarized, and I snort out a laugh.

"Something funny, Logan?" Scott asks tiredly.

"Pretty much all of it," I say.

Remy says, "Last I checked, we left Mesmero and Sinister unconscious in Sinister's base. What is he up to?"

Nori says, "Well, Mesmero was tranquilized, but I don't think Sinister's going to snap out of Phoenix attack any time soon. Not without help. And I think the only way in and out of that base is to teleport. Or through that vent we came in, but there's still the matter of getting up it."

"I'm not entirely comfortable leaving the fate of the world up to what a high school music teacher _thinks_ is possible," Magneto says.

Nori rolls her eyes. "I mean, yes, we should go back and check or whatever. But I'm just saying that I doubt he's gotten very far in the last couple days."

Hank says, "I need to know more about the cure. You say they've completed it? Will it be commercially available? Is this a government project?"

Mystique says, "They haven't received any government funding to create the cure, but higher-ups at the DOD and DHS are already sniffing around, looking to purchase large orders of it."

"The what?" Kurt asks.

"Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security," Mystique says.

Nori makes a disgusted face. She'd been protesting the U. S. government since long before she joined the X-Men.

"So, what, they'll use the cure as a disciplinary measure?" Scott asks, his voice angry. "If a mutant gets arrested, they'll be sentenced to a dose of _cure_?"

"Is it permanent?" Amara asks. "… Before, we… we had to take it every day. But it wore off."

"Ah, yes. You were one of their test subjects," Magneto says thoughtfully. "Yes, this cure seems to be permanent. One dose completely eliminates one's mutant abilities."

Amara's face picks up a guarded expression. I wonder if she'd line up for the cure again. I don't think so—the first time, she'd taken it out of desperation, since she couldn't control her magma form. But Nori, Hank, and Xavier had helped her out with that.

Briefly, I imagine life as a human. I'd age, and die, just like anyone else. Actually, I guess I'd die much sooner—the instant my body figured out how much metal was in it. Well, there goes that plan.

"So, we need to get back to Antarctica and take stock of the situation there," Scott says. "We need to study the cure, and the vaccine."

"What are we going to do about Mesmero?" Nori asks softly. I haven't talked to her and Remy about it much, but they seem to have mixed feelings about Mesmero. On one hand, he'd mind-controlled them and left them to die in the snow. (In my book, this was pretty much the only hand.) But on the other hand, which must have something to do with the way his power works, they both seemed to think of him fondly. In Antarctica Jean, too, had been upset when Kurt had tranquilized Mesmero.

Magneto says, "Mesmero betrayed me, and I will deal with him."

Nori purses her lips. "What do you mean by 'deal with'?" she asks, in a tone that makes it clear she understands.

"I will kill him," Magneto says in a precise tone.

Xavier says, "We will _not_ kill him. We will turn him over to the proper authorities."

Mystique smirks. "Oh, yes, and how long do you think it will take for him to talk his way out of the hands of the authorities?"

"Or for the authorities to use him for their own purposes?" Remy murmurs.

"We could—" Nori starts, and then stops, looking down at her hands.

Remy looks at her and nods. "We could cure him," he says flatly.

There's a momentary silence. "Well, that might be our best bet, much as I hate to admit it," Scott says.

Magneto gives a cruel smile. "A fate worse than death. Very well."

"In that case, we need to get our hands on the cure before we go to Antarctica, as well as the vaccine. Where are your samples?" Hank asks.

Mystique and Magneto exchange glances, and Mystique says, "I can get samples to you by tomorrow morning."

"All right," Scott says, his jaw set. "Then tomorrow afternoon, we'll head for Antarctica again. We'll… cure Mesmero. And… check on Sinister."

"Sinister is immortal," Magneto says. "I don't mean that he has a healing factor. I mean that he cannot die."

"Awesome," Nori says.

"Rather," Magneto says.

"But do you think he will be able to recover from the psychic damage the Phoenix caused?" Scott asks.

Magneto shrugs. "Only one way to find out."

I cross my arms over my chest. I know there's no way I'm leaving the mansion tomorrow morning, no matter how bad I'm itching to flee. Damn. On the other hand, could be a pretty good fight.

"Well, then. We'll reconvene tomorrow. After Mystique returns with the samples we need," Scott says.

I'm not sure when we decided we were teaming up with the Brotherhood. I guess maybe we need them. I don't like it, but I guess we don't have too many options. And they need Hank to look at their vaccine, so I guess we can count on Mystique returning. I don't like having to make so many guesses.

Mystique smiles and slinks out of the room. Pyro opens his mouth, and closes it again. Magneto and Charles look at each other. Abruptly, I realize they're having a telepathic conversation. Nori gives them a gentle smile and she stands to leave the room. Cecilia stops her at the door and says, "You should call Rae."

Nori blinks. "Yeah. I will. Thanks."

Cecilia squeezes her hand and says, "You were great, Nori. You saved them."

Nori shrugs. "I do what I can."

Out in the hallway, she says, "I'm going up to my office to call Rae. She gets so upset whenever I'm nearly killed."

"Not funny, _cher_," Remy says. I'm glad he did, because I agree.

Nori quirks her lips ruefully. "Sorry." She rises on tiptoe to kiss each of us, and we get in the elevator. Remy and I get off on the first floor, and she says, "I'll see you later."

We go out to the living room to see what the students are up to. We haven't been around much in the last month. I'm not close to any of the current students the way I am to Rogue, which is fine by me. But still, they're good kids, and I like them well enough. And, impossibly, they look up to me and Remy. So we sit and watch some March Madness game with them. I don't care about either team, but it doesn't matter. I sit on a big couch next to little Aiko. I'm half-surprised her father let her stay here. I suppose technically she was kidnapped before she got to the school, not after. Still, I can't help but wonder if Xavier made a little telepathic suggestion to get him to let Aiko stay here.

"You like basketball, kiddo?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says. "I like soccer more, but this is fun too. I have Duke going all the way on my bracket."

"You like Duke?"

"No," she says. "But I think they are probably going to win. Statistically speaking."

"You're a smart kid."

She shrugs. "Smart enough, I guess." She bites her lip. "Where's Aunt Nori?"

"She went up to her office, to make a phone call. She's fine, though."

Aiko nods. "Yeah, I know." She taps her forehead. "I know when everyone's fine."

"Oh, right," I say. "Xavier helped you out with your power?"

"Yeah." She pauses. "_Oji_-_san_, you aren't fine," she whispers.

I tighten my jaw. In Japanese, I say, "_Kid, don't worry about me._"

She gives me an intense look and I have to remind myself that she's only twelve. She looks a _lot_ like her mother, and I feel a renewed pang for Yuriko's death. She replies, "_I think you want people to worry about you. Aunt Nori worries about you a lot and I think that you like it._"

I take a deep breath. She looks like her mother, but she has the bluntness of her aunt—though Nori's technique is gentler. She's had more years to perfect the art of saying exactly what's on her mind without offending anyone.

Remy glances away from the game and at us. He raises his eyebrows, and I shrug. Aiko smiles. "How are you, Uncle Remy?" she asks, content to let the matter drop.

He smiles. "Just fine, _petite_. Just fine."

She smiles back. "I know." She glances at both of us and then returns her attention to the game.

The game's almost over when Nori comes down to the living room. She perches up on the arm of the couch, next to Remy. She smiles at us and says, "Who's playing?"

"It's Duke vs Michigan," Remy answers.

"Hmm," she says. "What are their mascots?"

"Blue Devils and Wolverines."

"Wolverines! Yes. Are they winning?"

"Nope."

"Too bad," she says, with a little sigh.

Remy laughs and kisses her. Nori's not really a sports fan, and she judges teams by the cuteness of their mascots. My favorite team, the Canucks, score a passing grade for their orca. (I hadn't even really known what their mascot was supposed to be until Nori had asked, "The Canucks? Is their mascot just like, a Canadian dude?" and then looked it up on her phone when I couldn't satisfactorily answer.) The New Orleans Saints do not rate highly on her list, however.

After the Blue Devils defeat the Wolverines (to Nori's dismay), most of the kids head off to bed. Their curfew is 10PM, which is quickly approaching. But Aiko remains on the couch. After all the other students are gone, she says, "Please, can I talk to you?"

"Sure, Aiko, what's up?" Nori says.

"I need to know… I need to know what is happening with the Phoenix."

Nori raises her eyebrows. I'd half-forgotten that the kid knew about the Phoenix at all, but she'd been down there when Nori was… taken by it. She'd been the one to figure it out.

"Well… well, sweetie, why don't we go up to my office and talk about it? I'll tell you about it, but you have to promise not to tell any of the other students."

"Why not?" Aiko asks. "We're all living with her. We should know."

Nori tilts her head to one side. It's a fair point, and I know Nori doesn't believe in bullshitting the kids. Neither do I, for that matter. "Let's talk about it in my office," she says firmly, and the four of us go upstairs.

Once there, Aiko settles herself on one of the room's chairs and says, "I know she's still here. I can feel her. She's… confused. And she's still hungry."

The three adults in the room share a wary glance at that. Nori and Remy are sitting side by side on the couch, and I'm pacing, too agitated to sit. "Well, Aiko, the Phoenix lives in Jean. And Jean… Jean's learning how to control it. She's a good person," Nori says. "She doesn't want to hurt anyone."

Aiko says, "Just because she doesn't want to hurt anyone doesn't mean she won't. You know that, Aunt Nori."

Nori gives a half-smile. "That's true." She shrugs. "I don't know what to tell you, sweetie. You're right. She is dangerous. Everyone here is dangerous. But Jean is working very hard with Professor Xavier. I promise, Aiko, we'll keep you safe."

Aiko rolls her eyes. "I'm not worried about _me_. The Phoenix doesn't want kids. I'm worried about you, Auntie."

Nori covers her mouth with her hand, and I can see tears spring up in her eyes.

I say, "Hey, kiddo, you know we'll do everything we can to keep your aunt safe."

Aiko looks me straight in the eye and says, "_Oji-san_, you can't fight the Phoenix."

Nori says, "We don't have to fight her, Aiko. We just have to be patient while Jean figures out how to control her."

"She's so hungry, Auntie. I don't think she can wait much longer."

"What's she talking about, darlin'?" I ask Nori.

"I-I don't know," she says. "Aiko's empathy is the opposite of mine. And I haven't tried to read Jean's mind. I'm not sure that I could, if I wanted to."

"You need to talk to her," Aiko says. "Because she is so, so hungry. It's… it's all I can feel. Her hunger."

"Well, that's not great," Nori mutters.

"At least, it seems like when she… eats people… she can spit them back up," Remy says.

Nori looks troubled. "Yeah…" she says hesitantly.

We all look at her. "What's that supposed to mean, _cher_?" Remy asks.

She shakes her head. "I can't really explain it… it was so hard, so so hard to put Scott back together. I think if she had held on to him for a second longer…" she shakes her head harder. "Aiko, I promise we'll talk to Jean, and help her." She stands up and hugs her niece."Thank you for telling us. I'm so sorry you're scared. Do you want me to help you shield?"

"No," Aiko says, adamantly. "I want to be able to keep an eye on her."

Nori gives a small smile. "Okay. Well, thank you, Aiko. I promise... I promise we're doing everything we can. But please, don't tell the students yet. We don't want them to be scared. Okay? Promise me."

Aiko lowers her voice, and in Japanese says, "_I promise, Aunt Nori. But you have to promise to be careful._"

"_I promise,_" Nori replies. "_Now go to bed! It's late._"

Aiko gives a little pout, and Nori gives her a warm smile and another hug."Good night, Aiko," she says in English. "It's already past curfew, but I'll tell Ms. Munroe you were with us."

"Good night, Auntie. Good night, Uncle Remy. Good night, _Oji-san_."

Remy and I both smile and wish her a good night in return, and Aiko grudgingly leaves.

Remy looks at Nori and says, "_Cher_, how come you never told us all that about the Phoenix? 'Bout Scotty?"

"Shit, Remy, I've been a little out of it," she says.

He just shakes his head. She's lying-or at least not telling the whole truth-and we both know it. Nori looks down and admits, "I... I didn't want Jean to know how close she came to killing Scott. I didn't... I didn't know how she would take it."

"And Scott? You didn't think he should know?" I ask.

She looks at me sadly. "If he knows, she knows." She taps her forehead.

"And you weren't going to tell us?" My voice is gruff, I can hear it. But I'm angry. And hurt. And afraid.

She slumps. "I just... I didn't... it's all a lot to process. It took a while for me to realize what... how close it was. And then, I didn't want you to worry. And I didn't think there was anything we could do about it."

"Did you tell Chuck?" I ask.

She nods.

"Oh. Well... good, then."

Nori's blocked off her empathy, but her anxiety is still apparent in her tense face and her shaking foot, not to mention her increased pulse and the slight scent of fear I'm picking up. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," she says softly.

Remy puts an arm around her. She doesn't relax against him the way she normally would. Suddenly, I'm furious. I'm pissed at Nori for lying, I'm pissed at Jean for coming back, I'm pissed at Sinister and Magneto and Mesmero and everyone else for making Nori bring Jean back, I'm pissed at Xavier for being so smug, and I'm pissed at myself for getting involved with this whole fucked-up situation. I'm breathing fast and hard.

Nori looks up at me with those liquid brown eyes of hers. "Logan, please calm down," she I don't answer, she stands up and puts a hand on my wrist. "Logan..."

I make a quick decision. The way I'm feeling right now I could hit her, or I could kiss her. I go for the latter. She makes a surprised sound but she kisses me back. I push her against the wall and nearly lose myself. She puts her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. I lean down, kissing and biting her ears, her throat. I suck on her delicate collarbone until a bruise starts to blossom there.

Remy moves behind me and I track him with my eyes. He locks the door and then sits back down to watch us intently. I slowly extend a single claw and watch her watch it slide out of my hand. She looks up at me, wide-eyed. I detect a little bit of fear from her, but not much. Not enough. I slice her shirt off of her, careful not to break the skin. She shivers. I leave her bra on, for now. I like the look of the lacy trim against her creamy skin. A rosy flush is rising in her face and her chest.

"Pet, you've been bad," I growl.

She looks down, not denying it. I nip at her shoulder and ask, "Do you know what happens to bad girls?"

She shakes her head.

"They get spanked," I say.

She sucks in a breath. "Please, Logan, I'll be good."

"I know you will, pet." I take a step away from the wall. She still has her arms and legs around me, but she still gasps with surprise when she loses the support of the wall. I sweep my arms under her ass and reposition her in my arms. I carry her a few feet, to the straight-backed chair sitting in front of a music stand. She whimpers when I sit down. I unbutton her jeans and she obediently lifts her hips to help me slide them off of her, and we do the same with her panties. I throw them to the floor of her office.

Then I flip her over and position her over my knees. She's trembling, but I can smell how turned on she is. I caress her ass a few times, letting her get used to the position, to the idea. My cock is rock hard, and I'm sure she can feel it through my jeans. I lift my hand and smack down. She gasps. I give her five sharp smacks and she squirms and bites down on her hand to keep from crying out. I slip a finger between her legs and tease her clit. She's still blocking her empathy. I'm torn between wanting to feel what she's feeling, and wanting to keep the Phoenix away. Reluctantly, I decide it's best if she keep her shield up.

Remy says, in a darkly sexy tone, "Hey, _cher_, you want something else to put in your mouth?"

"Mm-hmm," she murmurs, still wriggling on my lap.

"Like what?"

She sucks in a breath. "Please, Remy, let me suck your cock," she asks prettily.

"Well, all right," he says easily. It's been a long time since I've smelled him so turned on. He stands in front of Nori and unzips his pants, letting his rigid cock thrust out. Nori strains her head forward, trying to reach it. He laughs and steps closer, holding her head still. She takes the tip into her mouth and licks. Remy lets out a little moan.

I take my hand out from between her legs and stroke her ass. "Get ready, girl," I say, and she gives a small whimper around Remy's cock. I slap her ass, harder now. I want to mark her. I want her to remember this. Her breath is coming in small pants. I doubt Remy is receiving a very skilled blow job right now, but he doesn't seem to mind.

I look up at Remy, trying to communicate with my eyes. I hope he knows enough not to come in her mouth right now. She might choke. But I should have known better than to doubt Remy. He gives me a sexy smirk and slowly teases himself with her mouth. I feel like I could come any second now, but I deliberately hold off. Nori's ass is red and pink and blue. She's beautiful.

Remy pulls out of her mouth and shoots a hot stream of come across her back. She gasps and cries out.

"My good girl," Remy croons, stroking her hair. She lets her head fall forward, softly sobbing. I stop hitting her and gently stroke up and down her back. I get Remy's come on my hand, but I keep rubbing.

"You learned your lesson, didn't you, pet?" I ask.

She takes a long, shuddery breath. "Yes," she says.

"What lesson?" I ask firmly.

"No lying," she says.

"Good girl," I say, and I move my hand between her legs. She hitches her hips, pressing against my hand. I circle her clit gently and she lets out a pitiful whine. "You need to come, don't you?"

"Yes..."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, please," she whispers. I slip a finger inside her. It comes back soaked, and I rub it against her clit. My other hand holds her firmly against my lap or else she might writhe right off. I get her extremely close to the edge and then pull my hand away. She cries out in frustration and grinds fruitlessly against my lap.

I chuckle and slowly return my finger. "Now, pet. You can come now," I say, touching her the way I know she needs to be touched. She makes a strangled sound-she's been trying so hard to be quiet. There are students on this floor, after all. She shudders and shakes against my leg and then falls limp, tears running down her cheeks.

I stroke her shoulders. "Good girl," I say soothingly. All my anger and frustration are gone. I feel overwhelmed with affection and protectiveness for the girl on my lap. I also feel extremely horny.

"Here, _cher_," Remy says. He drapes her over his arms and helps her over to the couch, where she lies on her side. He covers her with a blanket and she gives him a sleepy, dazed smile.

Then Remy comes over and straddles my lap. He kisses me fiercely. I groan and wrap my arms around him. He shifts his weight and gives me a saucy look. He knows exactly what he's doing. He kisses me once more before kneeling in front of me. "Quite a lesson you taught our pet," he murmurs.

"You think it'll stick?"

"Hope so," he says. "But then again, maybe I don't."

I smile down at him. "I know what you mean."

Lazily, he reaches forward and opens my jeans. "Mm," he says. He frees my cock and runs a hand lightly up and down it. I jump slightly and he grins. Then he leans forward and takes me into his mouth. He swallows, taking my whole, hard length down his throat. Remy's an impressive cocksucker.

I'm incredibly ready, and he's incredibly good with his tongue, and it doesn't take long before I groan and come. I pull out and Remy licks his lips and gives me a catlike both turn to look at Nori, who's lying limp and half-asleep.

"Come on, pet," I say. "Let's get you up to bed."

She nods and carefully comes to standing. She has the knitted afghan wrapped around her. I toss her pants to her and she pulls them on with a wince. Her shirt is a lost cause and she frowns. Remy gallantly offers her his sweater, which nearly comes down to her knees. She carefully collects all the pieces of her shirt and tucks them up under the sweater. She puts the afghan back into place, closes her eyes, and says, "No one's in the hallway... let's go now!" She giggles like a schoolgirl. Remy puts an arm around her and I trail behind.

We make it safely up to our-their-room without being detected by anyone. Nori throws her shirt away and pulls Remy's sweater off.

"I like it better on you," he murmurs.

"It's scratchy without an undershirt," she says.

"Always whining about something, _cher_," he teases. She grins at him and changes into her flannel pajamas. Remy and I change, too, and we all climb into bed. I snort with laughter when she settles down to sleep on her stomach.

"Shut _up_," she says.

"Sorry, darlin'," I say, and I lie next to her and kiss her cheek in apology. She makes a contented sound and I stroke her shoulders until we fall asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 (Nori)

I wake up early and stretch my arms out. With the mood Logan had been in last night, I'm surprised I hadn't been put to bed in handcuffs. As is, I can feel a dull ache in my ass that I know will only get worse when I sit down. I shiver a little at the memory. Logan's never hit me before, though sometimes I think he's wanted to. It had scared me a little, and it had hurt, but it had also been incredibly hot. Feeling Logan's hands on me, feeling his hard-on under me... it had been intense. It also felt... cleansing. I knew that I'd caused Logan pain, and I had felt horrible about it. Now I felt forgiven. It had been a wonderful distraction from the feeling of impending doom I've been having the last few weeks.

Logan wakes up and looks at me cautiously. I smile and kiss him. "Morning, _anata_," I say.

He smiles back, relieved. I guess he thought I might have regrets when I woke up to bruises. But at this point in our relationship, it's too late for regrets. "How you feel, darlin'?" he asks.

"Sore," I pout.

"Good," he says, practically growling. He runs a hand back over me and caresses my bruised ass through my pajama pants. My eyelids flutter and I try to keep myself from squirming. But I'm turned on, and I know Logan can always tell. He smirks. I turn and kiss him. He holds my face still and kisses me. Logan kisses confidently, possessively. He kisses like he's had a hundred years to practice.

He nibbles my earlobe and I can't keep myself from moaning. Remy stirs and watches us. Logan unbuttons my pajama top. I'm glad he didn't use his claws, because I really like these pajamas. Remy slides over and gently rubs the small array of bruises and bite marks on my shoulders and neck. My back is still streaked with dried come from last night, and he runs his hands over it before snaking his hands around to play with my tits. I reach my hands forward and start stroking Logan's cock. He moans against my mouth. I look up into his eyes.

He pulls away from my mouth and carefully pushes me forward. I wait on my hands and knees. Logan climbs over me and kisses the back of my neck. He presses his body against my bruised ass and I hiss in pain. He licks the tattoo on my shoulder and then slides back, puts his face between my legs and starts eating my pussy, his hands holding my hips in place. Remy roughly plays with my tits. The sensations are overwhelming and I shiver. I'm close to orgasm when Logan pulls his tongue away. I hear the rustling of a condom wrapper and then he slides in me without any other warning. I sigh and back up against him.

"Oh, God, pet, this is good," he says. While he fucks me, he runs his hands over my bruises, occasionally pressing down on one. The pain and the pleasure all bleed into one. He comes with a grunt, and pulls out of me with a light slap to my ass. I jump and whimper, and he laughs. I still need to come, and I look pleadingly at Remy. He smiles at me, encouragingly. He wants me to beg, and I will.

"Please, Remy," I start, with a sweet tone of voice.

"Please what?"

"Please fuck me," I beg. Logan's still behind me, tracing light patterns on my thighs and hips with his fingers.

"Hmm," Remy teases. "I'm not sure if that's really what you want. Maybe we should go get breakfast."

I bite my lip. I _know_ he has a hard-on. I know he wants to fuck me as bad as I want him to. Damn him.

"No, please, Remy, now," I say. I spread my knees a little farther and I arch my back, showing him my breasts and my throat. I know I'm blushing, which embarrasses me, but I know they both love it when I blush.

He gives me a slow smile, taking in the view. "Please, Remy, please make me come," I say.

"Well, pet, you did ask very nicely," he drawls. "Logan, what do you think?"

I bite my lip. I hate when he asks Logan. Remy will usually just fuck me after toying with me for a little while, but Logan is _inventive_.

"Hmm," Logan says, tracing a circle on the small of my back. "I think you were right, Remy. We should go get breakfast."

"No, please," I say, squirming.

"Oh, don't worry, pet," Logan says. "_You're_ not going down to breakfast. We are."

"Please, please, no," I say.

"Talkin' too much, pet," Remy says. He kneels in front of me and presses his cock against my lips. I pout but accept it into my mouth. I suck and lick and swallow, hoping that if I do a good job, they'll change their mind about leaving me here. With a small moan, Remy pulls out of my mouth and strokes my hair. "Very nice," he says.

Logan attaches cuffs to my wrists and ankles. He gently but firmly presses me onto the bed, a pillow under my ass, and he ties me to the bed. Then he slips a small dildo between my legs. I arch up against it. It feels good, but it's not enough to make me come. Logan smirks. Then he covers me up to my neck with the sheet. He strokes my cheek with his thumb and says, "Be good, pet."

I sigh and say, "Yes, Logan." I don't point out that I can hardly be anything but good when I can't move.

Remy kisses my forehead. "Warm enough, _cher_? You want a blanket on you?"

"No, thank you."

He kisses my mouth and says, "You have fun, pet." I pout as they leave the room, locking the door behind them.

I know I _could_ undo the cuffs with my TK easily, but it won't be worth it. Anyway, I'm sure Logan would be able to tell, even if I put myself back in them. So I lie there and squirm. I'm not quite so desperately horny. Now I'm bored. And I want to brush my teeth. And wash the come off my back. I feel slutty, lying here naked, dirty, and helpless under one thin sheet. And I am kind of cold, now that the flush of excitement has faded somewhat. I probably should have taken the blanket. It feels like forever, but I know it's probably only been fifteen or twenty minutes when Remy and Logan come back into the room.

"Oh, good, she's still here," Remy purrs. He is so fucking funny.

I lie still and wait for them to come over to me. Remy runs his fingers over my mouth. He slips a finger between my lips and I suck it. I feel the blush creep back up my face. He smiles widely. "Good girl," he says.

I look up at him pleadingly. I _am_ a good girl, dammit. He smiles and pulls the sheet off of me. He reaches down and gently fucks me with the dildo, taking his fingers out of my mouth. I whimper and lift my hips up. He straddles me and kisses my lips hard.

"Please, Remy," I breathe. He idly traces his fingers along my stomach. I wriggle under his touch.

"Did you miss me, _cher_?" he asks teasingly

"Yes," I say. I _did_ miss him, and suddenly I'm near tears. Remy freezes for a second, registering my change in mood. He kisses me and strokes my hair.

"_Ma fille douce_," he says. He reaches over and frees my wrists, and I put my arms around him. "_Je t'aime_." He holds me still for a long moment. Then he frees my ankles and undresses, and we make love. Remy's gentle and sweet and I feel overwhelmed with love. After we finish, I curl up against him and cry. Logan's sitting on the desk chair, looking concerned and uncomfortable.

"_Cher_, what's wrong?" Remy asks anxiously. "Are you hurt?"

"No, no. Just... I don't know, everything," I sniff.

"Nori, you know you can stop us if things get to be too much for you," he says. "You know we don't want to hurt you."

"No, it-this was fine. Fun. It's just everything else. I don't know. I'm... I'm..." I start breathing harder. Shit, I'm having a panic attack. Remy holds me and tells me how to breathe. Eventually, I settle down. The thing I don't know how to say is that I am absolutely certain I'm going to die very soon. Instead, I say, "Let's go shower."

"All right, _cher_." We climb out of bed. I look at Logan in invitation, but he shakes his head "no." I bend down and softly kiss him.

"I love you, Logan," I say.

He reaches up and strokes my cheek, a sad expression on his face. I look him in the eyes for a moment, and I'm sure my face looks as sad as his. Then I give him a small smile and head to the bathroom with Remy, who's a little confused. We clean each other and I cry a little bit more. Logan's gone by the time we finish showering. We towel off and I pull on leggings and a dress, thinking it might be more comfortable against my bruises than pants would be.

Remy smiles and says, "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," I say. "You, too."

He studies my face and says, "_Cherie_... what's wrong? What do you need? What can I do?"

His sweetness will be my undoing. I smile and say, "Oh, Remy, I don't know. I'm just... I'm just scared."

"We all are, Nori." He kisses me. He makes no attempt to tell me that everything will be all right, which I appreciate. "Oh! I forgot. You need to eat something."

I laugh. "You're so predictable, love."

He stands up and brings me a plate. Apparently it had been on the desk, but I hadn't noticed. There's a bagel with exactly the correct amount of cream cheese and a banana. Tears well up in my eyes and I say, "I'm going to miss you so much."

Remy looks at me. "What are you talking about, _cher_? Where are you going?"

Shit, I shouldn't have said that. I look down at the plate and he holds my chin, gently forcing me to look at him. "Nori? Why are you going to miss me? What are you talking about?"

I take a deep breath. "I... I guess this sounds silly, but... but I'm pretty sure I'm going to die. Soon."

"Why would you think that?"

I shake my head and tears fall down my cheeks. "It's just a feeling I have. A really strong feeling."

"Have you ever had a feeling like this before?"

I bite my lip. "No. Not like this."

He rubs my shoulders. "_Cher_, you've been through a lot lately. You've been having a lot of stress. It's normal that you would be afraid."

He doesn't understand. Well, that's fine. I tried to tell him. He looks at me and can tell I'm unconvinced. He sighs and says, "Eat your bagel, _cherie_."

"Okay," I say, because it does look delicious. I lay down on my stomach on the bed and slowly eat my breakfast. Remy lies next to me with one arm draped over my back.

After I finish eating, Remy says, "_Cher_, you think maybe we should go talk to Hank?"

"Oh, I'm sure he's busy right now, with the cure and everything. No, I'm okay," I say.

Hesitantly, he says, "D'you want some Ativan or anything?"

I shake my head. "I don't want to take anything that will fuck up my powers. I'll need them tonight."

Remy looks at me unhappily. "Are you sure you want to go with us tonight?"

"I _have_ to go."

"I wish you didn't."

"I know." I kiss him and say, "I have no regrets, Remy, none."

"Me neither," he says, after a moment of reflection."But I want more time with you. This isn't enough."

"I know," I say lie together for a moment, and I say, "Remember that time when we lived with Magneto?"

He laughs. "_Oui, cher_, I do."

"That was weird, right?"

"Very weird. Especially compared to our very normal lives here." We both laugh. We gently caress each other and reminisce for the rest of the morning.

I'm delighted to see that we're having pizza for lunch. If I could choose a last meal, it would probably be pizza. I feel at peace, and I'm glad I had this morning with Remy. Even if I don't die today, I'm glad I had it.

That afternoon I seek out Logan. He's out smoking in the garden, and I put on my coat and hat (new winter clothing had mysteriously materialized in my room after I got back from Canada, though I still miss my old pink coat) and join him.

He gives me a distant, sad look, and I try to smile at him. "What's goin' on, darlin'?" he asks.

I chew on my lip. "I think I'm going to die today."

He exhales a puff of smoke. "You thought that last week."

"It's gotten worse."

"You know something you're not telling me?"

I shake my head. "It's just a feeling. A really strong feeling."

I wait for him to tell me that things will be okay, that it's all in my head, that I should stay at the mansion tonight and not go on the mission. Instead he just works his jaw and says, "I hate this."

"Yeah," I agree. We stand quietly. I wish I had a cigarette. I'm sure Logan would share his cigar but I'm not a fan of them.

After a moment of silence, I say, "I love you, Logan."

He nods and finishes his cigar, grinding out the butt under his boot. "Love you too, Nori. I..." he trails off. I hug him, and he squeezes me tightly, nearly cutting off my breath.

"Logan, can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything, darlin'."

"Don't leave Xavier's. Stay here. If... if anything happens to me, stay here. You and Remy can look after each other."

At that, Logan loses it. He sobs and holds me. Jean comes out into the garden, her eyes glowing. "Please, Jean, please not now," I say.

She stares at us warily. Logan says, "Jeannie, everything's... " he catches his breath. "Everything will be... it will be okay." He doesn't sound very convincing, and I laugh.

Jean takes a deep breath and shakes her head. "I'm sorry," she says. "I really am... I really am trying. To keep it under control."

"I know," I say. "I understand." Jean nods and leaves the garden, still shaking her head slightly.

Logan and I stand and look at each other. I know he's taking my claim seriously, unlike Remy. He bends down and kisses me gently. He tastes like his cigar. "I love you, Logan. I'm so glad we ended up together."

"Me too, darlin'. Me too." I stand there quietly with my face pressed against his chest, and he says softly, "Will you do me a favor?"

"Yes," I say. "What?"

"Will you sing for me?"

I smile. "Of course, Logan. What song?"

"Oh, anything."

I hum for a minute and then sing a favorite of mine. It seems fitting.

_Don't run back inside, darling, _

_You know just what I'm here for_

_So you're scared and you're thinking that _

_Maybe we ain't that young anymore_

_Show a little faith, there's magic in the night_

_You ain't a beauty, but hey you're all right_

_Oh and that's all right with me_

After I finish, I smile and say, "Did I ever tell you about the time I sang that song with Springsteen?"

He raises his eyebrows. "No, darlin', you didn't. How'd that go?"

"Honestly, when I try to remember it my brain just turns to white noise, but the video looks good," I say with a smile. "When his manager called me to propose it I made him repeat it like five times. I think he thought I was brain damaged. Or drunk."

Logan smiles at me. "When was that?"

"Couple years ago. We were both scheduled to perform at the same music festival. I mean he was like a headliner and I was definitely second tier, but, you know, whatever. But I-I used to play 'Thunder Road' in concert a _lot_ and I guess he heard about it." I know I can't help a smile off my face. I can't help it. Playing at Bonnaroo with the Boss was one of the coolest fucking things I've ever done. One more reason why I can die happy, I suppose.

I stand on my tiptoes and give Logan another kiss. "I'm going inside. Too cold out here for me."

He holds my face and looks at me intently before nodding. "Seeya later, Nori."

I wave my fingers and head inside. I go up to my office and quietly put my affairs in order, writing letters to the people I care about and sealing them. I put them in the top drawer of my desk, alongside the letter I'd written to Aiko. It's emotionally draining work, and when Remy materializes in my office I happily curl up on his lap. We sit and kiss and cuddle until Xavier telepathically calls us down to the Sit Room.

"_Cher_," Remy pleads, "Let's not go. Let's leave. Let's run away."

"Oh, Remy, you know we can't," I say sadly.

He holds me tightly. "I know." We hold hands as we walk down to the elevator. I barely pay attention as Hank and Jean talk about the cure, the vaccine, whatever. I feel like I'm watching the situation unfold from above. I watch myself put on that black leather jumpsuit and that black parka. I watch myself get on the jet and sit between Logan and Remy. I watch Scott and Jean. Scott watches Jean with wonder, like he's never seen a woman before. Jean watches Scott like she's afraid of him, like she's afraid of herself.

I watch as we land the jet over the ice. I try to focus. I find Mesmero and I frown. His energy feels strong, confident. If I try to block his power, he'll know we're coming. I decide just to try to shield us and hope it works. I kiss Remy before we get off the jet, and then I turn and kiss Logan too. I don't care who sees.

Nightcrawler takes us down into Sinister's base. I feel so much foreboding. We prowl through the base and find Mesmero and Sinister in the lab. They're both fine, and they smile upon seeing us. This is not good.

"Ah, welcome back," Sinister says. "I did hope we could have a reunion." I take shallow breaths and focus my shields as tightly as possible. Sinister tilts his head to one side and smiles.

Kurt tries to teleport over to Mesmero, but ends up flying back against the wall. "Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice... you know the rest," Sinister says.

"Jean, why don't you come join us?" Mesmero says.

"No, I..." Jean says, trailing off.

"Jean, aren't you hungry? How long can you hide from what you are?" Mesmero asks.

"No, Jean!" Scott says. "You're not the Phoenix. You're Jean Grey, you're a doctor. A teacher."

"I..." Jean says.

"Aren't you hungry?" Mesmero says. "Look how much power there is here. It could all be yours."

"No," Scott says.

I focus as hard as I can on Jean. Maybe I can block _her_ power, since it doesn't look like I can do anything about Mesmero's... or is it working? Oh, God, what to do? I stick with Jean. She wheels around and transforms into her fire form.

"_Stop that_," she says.

"Jean, please," I say. "Please stop. Remember who you are."

"_I AM THE PHOENIX."_

"No," Scott says. "You're Jean Grey. Stop it, Jean."

Jean glances at him, and then back at Mesmero, and she flies at me. I feel an intense burning pain, and then I feel nothing at all.

NOTE: The song quoted is "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 (Remy)

It seems that time slows to a standstill as Nori is engulfed in flames and falls to the ground. Phoenix-Jean smiles and floats back to Mesmero. Logan screams with rage and flies at Phoenix. I go to Nori and shake her.

"Nori? _Cher_?" She doesn't respond. She's not breathing. I bring my fingers to her throat and feel for a pulse. There is none. She's not burnt, but she's... she's not there anymore.

I sob and collapse against her. "Nori, you have to wake up, you have to, _si vous plait, cherie_." She knew this would happen, she knew it somehow, but I guess we've known all along that the Phoenix was terrible. Oh, my brave girl, why did she come? What did she die for? I think we are all going to die.

Cyclops is trying to talk to me but there's a rushing sound in my ears. Anyway, there is nothing useful he could say to me. Logan comes over and shakes Nori. He sniffs her. He's crying, too.

Now Mesmero is talking, or something, but I still can't make out any sounds. "Leave us alone!" I say.

Phoenix-Jean circles the room, flying and screaming. She comes back over to us. "Fine, Jean, you want me? Take me too," I say. She puts her fiery hands on my face and I look into her eyes. Abruptly, she stops. She returns to regular human form.

"No!" she says. "NO!"

I don't know what to say.

"Jean," Mesmero coaxes. "Jean, won't you help us?"

"NO!" Jean says.

Sinister shrugs. "I am very tired of this," he says.

"This isn't a game!" Jean cries.

She turns back to her fire form and looks at us. "_She is more than this,_" she says. She puts her hands on Nori's face and I watch as Nori is once again engulfed with fire. Well, she'd always said she wanted to be cremated. To my horror, I start laughing at the thought. I laugh and laugh and cry.

"Stop it!" Pyro cries. I glance at him. I think he's trying to stop Jean, but her fire is more than fire. He has no control over it.

Abruptly, Jean pulls away from Nori. She turns on Mesmero and Sinister, engulfing them in flames. They fall to the ground, and Jean returns to normal.

"Did it work?" she asks.

I sob. Yes, it worked. Why is she asking? Is she gloating? Oh, God, I am filled with an intense hatred for Jean Grey. I try to choke it back. Then a soft hand reaches up and strokes my cheek. I focus my eyes and recoil. I must be seeing things, hallucinating from grief.

Nori's sitting up and looking at me. "Hey, love, it's okay," she says.

I narrow my eyes. "Mystique?" I ask. I know she's a bitch, but this is ridiculously cruel.

"Not me," Mystique says. I turn my head and see her standing next to Magneto, in her usual blue form.

I turn back and whisper, unable to believe it, "Nori?"

"Well, who else?" she replies, giving me a wide smile.

I tug her against my chest and cry harder. I feel the touch of her empathy, sweet and loving and confused.

"_Je t'aime_," I say.

"Of course you do," she says. "I love you too."

Scott clears his throat. "Um, I hate to interrupt, but... what the hell happened?"

An ashen Jean says, "I... I killed her. And then I... brought her back."

"Wait, you _what_?" Nori says.

"I'm so sorry, Nori, I didn't mean to, I... " She reaches out with her hand and telekinetically calls a syringe from Nightcrawler's pocket over to her hand. She squirts it into the air, and before anyone can react, she plunges it into her own arm.

"Jean!" Scott cries. Jean falls to her knees and grimaces in pain. Scott drops beside her and tries to hold her.

Nori rests her head against my chest and I stroke her hair. Logan squats next to us. He smells her hair and strokes her shoulders.

"You're alive," he whispers.

"Yeah," she says. "How about that?" She tips her face up and kisses me, and then she kisses Logan. The three of us awkwardly cuddle on the gleaming metal floor of Sinister's lab.

We watch as Jean recovers. She stands up, blinking and disoriented. Kurt gives the remaining syringes to Jean, and she gives a dose of cure to Mesmero, and one to Sinister as well. It occurs to me that Sinister has probably vaccinated himself, and perhaps Mesmero, but we can deal with that later. Magneto and Mystique pace around the lab, investigating.

Scott has his arm around Jean, who's trembling.

Nori says, "Hey... Jean, uh, you just cured yourself, right?"

"It was the only way," she says. "I didn't want to hurt anyone again."

Nori shrugs and says, "Well, I mean, since we're here... I know... this is where, um, where Sinister gave me my telepathy. A-and it isn't very strong, you know, just like, regular. So, maybe if you could find his... notes, or whatever, you could... you could give them back to yourself. If you want."

Jean nods. Logan, Nori, and I make no move to get up off the floor, and no one asks us to. I sit in a dreamy state, occasionally moving my hand up and down Nori's arm, just reassuring myself that she's still there.

"Are you okay, _cher_? How do you feel?" I ask anxiously.

"Fine, Remy. More than fine. I feel really great," she says. She seems alert and happy. It seems too good to be true, but I decide not to question it.

"I'm... it's good to have you back, _ma mie_."

She tilts her head and murmurs, "Does this mean I get to start my own religion?"

Logan snorts. "I'd join."

I kiss the top of her head. "Me, too."

"You guys can be popes if you want."

"I would be an excellent pope, me," I say. Nori giggles, and I feel my eyes tearing up again. God, I would have missed her ridiculous flights of whimsy. She sends me a telepathic image of myself wearing one of my usual outfits, topped by a pope hat. "_Mon dieu_, I love you," I say.

"I love you too," she says, beaming.

Scott, Jean, Magneto, and Mystique are having some kind of intense conversation. I watch for a moment, but it doesn't look like a fight. I decide to sit back and let them save the world.

Scott says, kindly, "Gambit, Wolverine, Echo-why don't you go wait in the next room?"

We glance at each other and nod. "Sure, Cyke," I say. Under almost any other circumstances, I'd be pissed to be excluded. Today? I'm delighted.

We stand up and leave the lab. Nori guides us to Sinister's kitchen. I sit down on a chair, and Nori sits on my lap. I'm quite sure I have a ridiculously besotted look on my face, but I'm allowed that, aren't I? The woman I love has come back from the dead, and that doesn't happen every day. She smiles and caresses my cheeks. Her hands feel so soft and smooth. She takes her hands off my face and look at them wonderingly.

"My hands," she says. "They're so smooth."

I raise my eyebrows. "Side effect of being raised from the dead?" I ask.

"Mother_fucker_," she says. "Do you have any idea how long it takes to build up good guitar calluses?"

I laugh and squeeze her silky-smooth hands. "You've got all the time in the world to get them back, _cher_."

She reaches a hand up to the back of her neck. "On the bright side, it feels like my scars are gone, too."

"Let me see," I say. She tips her head forward and I sweep her ponytail to one side. She's right. "Do you-do you still have your memories?" I ask.

She purses her lips thoughtfully. "Let me see-what was your name again?"

"Hey, _cher_, it's a valid question."

She laughs. "Sorry, Remy, I guess you're right. I don't know. It feels like I still have my memories."

"Hmm," I say. "Do you remember how we met?"

"Yeah," she says. "You and Mystique talked your way into my hotel room in DC."

"That was a good night," I say with a smile.

"Do you remember how _we_ met?" Logan asks.

"_You_ came and crashed me and Remy's beach vacation. And yet, you claim to hate the beach," she says, grinning madly. "My turn," she says. "Remy, do you remember the first time we went to Brazil?"

I look at her askance. "_Cherie_, we have never been to Brazil."

"I know," she says, still grinning. "That was a test. But I have always wanted to go there."

"Then we'll go," I say. "Let's take the jet and go right now."

She giggles. "Maybe like tomorrow. I need to pack. I'd look ridiculous showing up in all black."

"You'd look beautiful," I say. I can't believe how _normal_ she seems. Well, normal for her.

She looks at Logan. "What about you, Logan? You want to go to Brazil?"

"Anywhere with you, darlin'. Even the beach."

"Oh, no, I don't want to go to the beach. I want to go to the rainforest! Before it's all destroyed."

He smiles. "Well, that sounds nice."

We sit together, feeling ridiculously happy. Nori sings to us, and we're watching her when Cyclops comes out into the kitchen. He listens and smiles for a moment, and then he says, "We're done here. We can go."

"We're done here?" Logan asks.

"We've... taken care of the lab. Sinister and Mesmero's plan can no longer be carried out."

"What was their plan?" I ask.

"As far as we can tell, they... planned to release the cure around the world. They planned to force the cure on all mutants."

"But-" Nori starts, and Cyke cuts her off.

"Sorry, Nori, but let's talk about this when we get out of here," he says.

She smiles. "Yeah, okay." She hops off my lap and we leave Sinister's base. I'm unbelievably happy to be leaving Antarctica.

Nori says, wistfully, "We never did see a penguin."

I bend down and kiss her. "We can go to the aquarium, _cherie_."

She purses her lips. "That would be okay, I guess."

"And I'll buy you a stuffed penguin."

She smiles. "Okay."

Hank and Ororo fly us back. Jean keeps staring at Nori in a way that makes me slightly uncomfortable. Nori seems unaware, or at least pretends not to notice. Back at the mansion we change out of our jumpsuits and reconvene in the Sit Room. Scott hesitantly explains the situation to those who had remained at the mansion-Xavier, Cecilia, Marrow, and Amara. Everyone stares at Nori, who shrugs and looks adorably sheepish.

"You can bring people back from the dead?" Marrow asks Jean.

"No, not anymore," Jean says. "I-I no longer have any mutant powers."

"Hmm," Marrow says.

Hank says, "I... believe that Sinister's plan has been thwarted. Just to be safe, I'd like to vaccinate everyone here against the cure. Assuming you'd like to be vaccinated, of course."

"I don't understand," Nori says. "Why would Sinister want to cure all the mutants?"

"I think that was what Mesmero wanted," Mystique says.

"Oh," Nori says. "Well, why would _he_ want that?"

"If he's the only mutant, who could stand against him?" Magneto says.

Nori makes a disgusted face and says, "That is _fucked up_."

"I completely agree," Magneto says, straight-faced.

"And Sinister allied with him because he wanted Mesmero to control me," Jean says, horrified.

"But the cure is destroyed?" Logan asks. "And-the-samples from you and Scott?"

Scott's face tenses. "Yes. Those have been destroyed. As to the cure-all of it that Sinister had accumulated has been destroyed, as is his equipment. Of course, Worthington Enterprises still has their own supply of the cure."

Magneto narrows his eyes, but says nothing.

We discuss a few more logistical details, including when the Brotherhood will leave (as soon as possible) and then Hank escorts Nori down to the medbay. Logan and I follow and watch as he examines her. She sadly shows him that her calluses, tattoos, and scars have disappeared. He does a full body scan and finds that her old brain injuries are still the same.

"Apparently, Jean reconstructed your skin when she revived you, but none of your bones or internal organs."

"Hmm," Nori says. "Well, I'm not going to argue with her methods, I guess."

"But-she's okay?" I ask anxiously. "I mean-I mean-"

"As far as I can tell, yes, Nori is just fine," Hank says. "I've checked everything I can think of and I can see no lingering signs of Jean's attack."

"Yay," Nori says. She squeezes Hank's hand and says, "Thanks, Hank. You should go get some sleep, now. You were working so hard on the vaccine, and everything."

He smiles. "I assure you, Nori, I am fine. And you are welcome."

We leave the medbay. Magneto, Mystique, and Pyro are in the hallway, walking toward the elevator. I don't want to share the elevator with them, but I also don't want them to think that I don't. Damn.

Guilelessly, Nori strides into the elevator. She's smiling. Logan and I trail behind her.

Pyro says, "Hey, Echo."

"Hey, Pyro," Nori says, still smiling. I try to keep a neutral expression.

"I, um. I'm glad you didn't die," he says.

"Thanks, Pyro. Me, too." He nods. The three of them step out of the elevator on the first floor and disappear. We continue up to the third floor and back to our bedroom.

Nori stares at herself in the full-length mirror. "You guys," she says. "I need to find a new tattoo parlor."

I laugh and pick her up. She gives a little shriek of surprise. I kiss her, and she happily returns the kiss. I set her down on the bed and continue to kiss her. She reaches up and rubs her hands up and down my back. "I love you so much," she says.

I slip in another yearning kiss before saying, "_Mon dieu_, I love you."

I feel Nori open our telepathic link. _Logan, come here,_ she says.

He hesitates for a moment before coming to join us on the bed. Nori reaches out and kisses him.

"Logan, I love you too," she says.

He nods. "Darlin'-I-" he exhales. Telepathically, he sends out a wave of feelings. Nori blinks and sorts through it.

_Oh, Logan, I know. It must be so hard for you, to-to outlive everyone. But-you still have a long time with me and Remy. You might as well enjoy it. _

"Yeah," he says. "I will." He kisses her, nibbling and licking at her hungrily. She lets out a little moan, and he carefully removes her shirt.

I'm watching Logan play with her nipples when Nori abruptly says, "Hey, uh, do you guys think my hymen would have grown back, too?"

Logan and I exchange glances, and I say, "Uh... don't know, _cher_. I mean, I guess there's only one way to find out."

She grimaces and slips her hand down her panties. Then she makes a relieved face and says, "Nope, it's cool. I guess it's not technically skin?"

I smile and kiss her. "You mean to tell me you've done this before?"

She bats her eyelashes. "Oh, once or twice."

The three of us gently make love, slowly feeling and exploring each other. Everything feels new and wonderful. After we finish, we lie together lazily.

"I must be the luckiest man alive," I say.

Nori laughs. "You're not lucky, you stack the deck."

Logan snorts at that, and I say, "Ain't nothin' wrong with makin' your own luck."

"I'll drink to that," she says. "Speaking of which, let's please have some drinks."

"Great idea, darlin'," Logan says. He dresses and slips next door to grab beer from the mini-fridge in his room. The three of us are a little bit drunk when we head down to dinner, but no one says anything about it, not even Scott. Improbably, today is our day, and we make the most of it.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 (Logan)

I wake up screaming.

In my dream, Nori was engulfed by Jean's flames, but she'd burned up, leaving behind a pile of ash. The dream was incredibly realistic. The smell of burning flesh still lingers in my nostrils.

In reality, Nori reaches a soft hand out and takes my wrist. "Shh, Logan, it's okay."

I catch my breath. "Nori?"

"I'm right here, Logan," she says soothingly.

"Oh God," I say.

"Logan, will you put your claws back, please?" she asks gently.

"Oh. Yeah."

Remy looks at me, his red eyes glowing softly in the dark. "It's all right, _mon ami_. Everything's all right."

"Yeah," I say. "I guess it is."

Nori strokes my hair and sends out soft empathic reassurance, and we fall back to sleep. In the morning, Nori's still there, looking sweet and peaceful. She wakes up and catches me staring at her. She gives me a teasing smile and sits up.

"Morning, Logan," she says. "Nothing good on TV?"

I laugh and caress her cheek. "Nothing as good as my own personal soap opera."

She leans forward and gives me a chaste kiss before getting up to brush her teeth and shower. Of the three of us, Nori seems to be the one least affected by her own death. But then, she's also the one who doesn't remember it. In a weird way, though, Nori's probably the most well-adjusted of the three of us. She's the only one of us who'd routinely gone to therapy before coming to Xavier's, though truthfully Remy and I probably could have used it. Not that I plan to tell that to Xavier.

She hums to herself and pulls on black pants and a green blouse. I think about going back to my own room to shower, but I'm half-afraid she'll disappear if I leave her side. She smiles at me. "It's okay, Logan, I'm not going anywhere." My face shows a flash of surprise, and she says, "Sorry, _anata_, you're just thinking really loudly."

"I'll try to keep the volume down, then," I say. I give her one more kiss on my way out the door. Despite her assurance, I still shower and dress quickly. When I return, Nori's lounging on the couch and reading a magazine. Remy's still asleep. She sits up and pats the couch, and I join her.

"Do you think we should wake him up?" Nori whispers.

I look at him and bark, "Hey, Cajun. Get up."

Remy opens one scarlet eye. "Mm," he says.

Nori gives him a fond smile. "Hey, love, it's time for breakfast." He gracefully rolls out of bed and showers, emerging with the scent of black tea and cloves. He stands in front of the closet and considers wardrobe options. Nori rolls her eyes and sends a black shirt flying off the hanger and into his hand.

He laughs. "Oh, you like this one, _cher_? Hmm... but what else goes with it?"

She tilts her head and sends pants, boxers, and a belt all flying at him. "Perfect," she says. Remy shakes his head. He can't resist the urge to put the belt back and select a different one.

"I can't wear a _brown_ belt with a _black_ shirt, _cher_. I'd be a laughingstock."

"My bad," she says. "Get dressed."

He grins and pulls on the outfit. "Well? How do I look?" Nori purses her lips and hesitates. Remy raises his eyebrows. "You don't like it?"

"Oh, no, it's fine, it's just..."

"What?" he demands, surveying himself again in the mirror. He looks perfect, and he knows it.

"It's just, I mean, I think it would be a much more daring fashion choice to wear the brown belt."

I laugh out loud, both at Nori's line and at the look on Remy's face when he realizes he's been had.

"Not happening, _ma mie_. Let's go get breakfast."

She grins and rises off the couch, giving him a quick kiss before heading out into the hallway.

Downstairs the mood at breakfast is mixed. Remy and I are still fairly glowing with happiness at having Nori with us. Nori's her usual cheery self. But Jean and Scott are tense. After breakfast, we're having some kind of all-school assembly to tell the kids some of what happened. We've decided that they don't need to know _all_ the details, but they need to know that Jean's been de-powered, and that the weird stuff that's been happening around the school will (we assume) stop. We've also decided that there's no reason the kids need to know what happened to Nori. Weird enough to have one teacher back from the dead, but two seems absurd.

After breakfast, we filter into the ballroom for the assembly. I sit on an uncomfortable metal chair. Nori's sitting next to me, cross-legged and holding hands with both me and Remy. If we've gotten a little lax about letting the mansion's adults know that the three of us are sleeping together, we definitely don't want the kids to know. But Nori holds hands with people all the time, so there's nothing particularly suspicious about us.

We sit quietly while Xavier, in his role as headmaster, explains the situation in his cultured British accent. He stresses the need for confidentiality and privacy-meaning don't call home to mommy and daddy about this. He also asks the students to be gentle if Jean needs a little time to adjust. He says he's _sure_ they'll understand. Nori uses her empathy to gently project calm and love. I'm not sure how widely she's projecting. It could backfire if she's trying to calm the students-might make them feel manipulated. But Nori has a pretty good sense of these things, so I decide to just trust her judgment.

She opens up the telepathic link between me, her, and Remy, and says, _How do you think Warren will take this?_

I blink. I'd forgotten the kid's parents owned the company that helped make the cure. _Don't know,_ Remy replies. _You think his parents will try to cure him?_

Nori gives a small shudder. _Poor Warren_.

The meeting goes off fairly uneventfully. Honestly, the kids were more freaked out before, when they knew Jean was doing something weird but they didn't know what. After Xavier dismisses everyone, Aiko slips up to the front of the room and embraces her aunt in a tight hug.

"Hey sweetie, did you miss me?" Nori asks.

Aiko squeezes her and Nori laughs. "I'm glad you're so happy, Auntie."

Nori smiles. "Me, too. Now get to class!"

Aiko sticks out her tongue and then leaves the ballroom. The day passes uneventfully. We teach our classes. Remy and I are both quietly skittish about letting Nori out of our sight for the length of the school day, and Nori kisses us and leaves our telepathic link open all day. We don't say much to each other, but it's nice to reach out and feel that she's still there.

The next day is Saturday, and we run a few errands with Nori. First, we go to a guitar store so Nori can buy new guitar strings. She grudgingly purchases a set of nylon and a set of silk-and-steel strings. She explains to us that these will be easier for her newly-tender fingers.

Next, we head into the city. I'm driving, and Nori directs me to Inkstop Tattoo, a little storefront in the Village. I'm not wild about the idea, but Nori wants to start recreating her lost tattoos, or at least some of them. She says, "Logan, you're welcome to go get coffee or something while I do this."

I scoff. "No, darlin', I'll stay with you."

As we approach the tattoo parlor, two clean-cut men in suits approach us. Remy and I both exchange nervous glances, but Nori smiles at them. Telepathically, she says, _Don't worry, they're just Mormons._ I roll my eyes. Taking in the three of us, the men direct their approach to Nori, the only one of us who's smiling, the only one of us who couldn't obviously take these men in a fight.

"Good afternoon, ma'am, have you ever read the Book of Mormon?"

"Yes, I have," she says. I snort with laughter. "I _have_," she says.

The Mormons are startled. I doubt they get that reaction often. "That's wonderful! Then, sister, are you a member of the Church of Mormon?"

Telepathically, she tells me and Remy, _Years ago I asked a couple Mormon missionaries if sister wives were allowed to have sex with each other. Which, it turns out they're not, but they gave me a book and I read it out of curiosity. It's pretty weird, but like, so's the Bible. _I try my best to bite back my laughter.

Aloud, she says, "Oh, no, I'm not. I'm pretty happy with my own religion. But thank you though. Where are you from?"

"Utah. I'm Elder White," one man says, extending his hand. Nori shakes it.

The other man says, "Elder Brown."

Nori grins. "Nice to meet you, Elders. I'm Midori. My name's a color, too."

"Really? What is it?" asks Elder White.

"Midori means green in Japanese," she says.

"Oh, that's interesting. Are you from Japan?" Elder Brown asks.

"My parents are, but I was born in Massachusetts."

Elder White says, "So, are you a Shinto?"

"I'm Buddhist," Nori says easily.

She chats with them for a fairly long time about religion, though she keeps trying to steer the conversation back to the men themselves. Occasionally the men look up at me and Remy to see if we're interested. Remy looks incredibly amused, and I'm not even trying to keep a glare off my face.

Finally, she says, "Well, it was really nice to meet you, but I have an appointment to get to. Good luck in New York!"

"Thank you, Midori, it was very nice talking with you," Elder White says. "Here, please take this card in case you change your mind about the Church."

"We'll pray for you," Elder Brown says. He glances up at us. "And your friends."

"Thank you," Nori says gravely. "Between you and me, those two could really use it."

Elder Brown nods seriously, and I finally burst out laughing. He looks at me nervously and the two missionaries head on down the street.

"What was that, _cher_?" Remy asks. "You thinking about joining the Church of Latter Day Saints?"

"Oh, hell no. I just always feel bad for those kids, especially the ones in New York. They have to go spend two years in some big scary city and they're only allowed to call home like twice a year, and everyone here is really mean to them. I just figure they could use a little love."

Remy rubs her shoulders affectionately. "You're the sweetest girl."

We walk into the tattoo parlor and a pale, petite woman with a black mohawk greets us. She sizes up the three of us and asks, "So, who's getting tattooed?"

"Me," Nori chirps, and the woman smiles. "I made an appointment yesterday? I'm Midori."

"Ah, yes, Midori. Have you given some thought to what you'd like?"

"Yep," Nori says, and she pulls a slip of paper out of her purse. It's the phrase "reason to believe" written in a pretty script. "This."

"Looks good," the woman says. "You'll be with Ben." She jerks her head toward a burly middle-aged man. Most of Ben's exposed skin bears some kind of tattoo. I see an eight ball, a dragon, "Mary Anne," and Snoopy, and there are more that I can't quite make out. There are three tattoo artists in the room, and he's the only one with an empty chair.

"Cool," Nori says.

"Come on over," Ben says. She crosses the small room and sits down in his chair. Remy and I follow.

"So, cutie, is this your first tattoo?"

"Uh... yeah," Nori says.

"Well, I'm thrilled to be your first." I've decided that I don't like Ben. "Can I see your design?" 

Nori hands over the sheet.

"Hmm. Yeah. Easy-peasy," he says. "Where do you want it?"

Nori pushes up her sleeve and taps her left wrist, which looks strangely blank. He runs his fingers over her wrist. "Here? Below where your watch would sit?"

She nods.

"No problem. Just black?"

"Yeah."

He swabs her wrist with an alcohol wipe, washes his hands, puts on gloves. Nori nods approvingly.

"All right, let's do this," Ben says. Nori rests her wrist on an adjustable tray, and Ben picks up what looks like an implement of torture.

I give an involuntary shudder and take Nori's right hand. I hate it in here. I hate the smell of pain and ink, I hate seeing all the needles, even if I know none of them are going to touch me. Nori smiles at me and says, "Logan, if you want to go outside for a smoke, I'll be fine."

"No, I'm fine," I say, just a little bit too quickly. Remy says nothing. I can smell that he's just about as nervous as I am. Neither of us are big fans of needles.

Nori grins. "I'll take you both out for ice cream after this, okay?"

"Or maybe a beer?" I say, and she nods.

Ben starts his work on Nori's wrist. She gives a little hiss of pain, but then grits her teeth and sits still.

"We'll be done before you know it," Ben says, ostensibly to Nori.

"Cool. Hey, Ben, how long have you been doing this?" Nori asks. She holds up a breezy conversation with him while I try my hardest not to go berserker on the man who's repeatedly stabbing her with a needle.

"All right, what do you think?" Ben asks. Nori looks at her wrist, which is red and inflamed around the words.

"Perfect," Nori says. "It's just like... just like I imagined."

"Great!" Ben says. He bandages the tattoo, hands her a tube of ointment, and rattles off a list of instructions for Nori, who nods and listens carefully. She'd had to pretend like this was her first tattoo, since Jean had rebuilt her skin and erased all her old ones. But it was a small price to pay for being here at all.

I know not all the team members believed that Jean actually brought Nori back from the dead. She'd put everyone else she'd touched into a coma. But I knew, _knew_ that Nori had died. I could smell and hear death, and death had touched Nori. She had been dead, and now she wasn't. And in that instant, the instant when Jean Grey had breathed life back into her, I knew that I was an idiot for thinking about leaving just because Nori would die one day. Of course it would hurt when she died, when Remy died. But I already loved them. It wouldn't hurt less if I left now; it would hurt more.

Out in the parking lot, I smile as Remy bends down to kiss Nori. I stick my hands in my jacket pockets and blink when my fingers close around a small piece of paper. I pull it out and find one of Nori's business cards, with a sweet message written on the back in Japanese. She turns back and sees me looking at it.

"Oh," she says. "I wrote that before. When we thought you were going to leave."

I smile and put the card back in my pocket. "I'm not goin' anywhere, darlin'."

"I know," she says happily.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 (Nori)

I look around my office and can hardly believe I'm in here alone. Remy and Logan have been so clingy ever since I, well, returned from the dead last week. Which I totally understand. And I find it sweet, I do. But I also need a little space. And they do too, they're just too freaked out to notice. I finally told them that if they didn't go burn off some of their nervous energy in the Danger Room, I was going to just start telekinetically throwing things at them.

Logan had looked at me skeptically, but Remy knew I was serious, and he dragged our lover down to the basement. And now I can count on at least an hour of privacy. I take the bottle of vinegar and bowl off my shelf and soak my fingers for a few minutes. It stings like hell, but it's supposed to help calluses develop faster. I'm not sure if it works or if it's just an old wives' tale, but I'm willing to try. I take my hands out, wipe them on a dish towel, and start to play. It hurts. I'd forgotten how much it hurt when I first started playing guitar. But it's worth it. Almost all painful things are worth it, I think.

I slide into a dreamy music-trance and don't notice the pain in my fingers so much. Someone knocks on my door, and I say, "Come in," without bothering to check who it is.

I'm surprised when Jean Grey walks in my office door. We haven't spoken much since she got back. It's understandable-she's been busy reuniting with people who actually knew her, and busy trying to come to terms with herself.

"Hi, Jean," I say, smiling.

"Hi, Nori," she says, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Please, sit down," I say tilting my head toward the couch.

She gives a shy smile and sits down. "I just thought... we should maybe get to know each other."

"Yes, I would love to." I wipe down the strings and set my guitar back in its case, and we haltingly exchange basic biographical details-birthplace, education, employment history.

Finally, she asks, hesitantly, "But you were with the Brotherhood, right? At Liberty Island?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

I shrug. "Magneto... saved me. Well, he tried to, anyway. He took me in before Stryker could capture me. And, well, maybe it was Stockholm Syndrome, but I... I kind of agreed with some of his ideas. And I didn't know where else I could go." I look down at my hands before adding, "And at Liberty Island... he told me he'd kill a girl if I didn't help him with his machine. And I swear, I didn't know that it would kill people. He-he told me he had tested it, and it worked."

Jean looks at me solemnly and says, "Oh, I believe you, of course. I-I didn't mean to imply that I thought you would have-or to judge-I just wanted to understand."

I smile. "It's kind of a soap opera, I know. Yes. Remy and I were with the Brotherhood for, oh, two years. Although six months of that, I was in Stryker's lab. And then we were kidnapped by the FOH, and the X-Men rescued us. I-I was kind of out of it for a while after that. But we've been here ever since."

She looks at my hands and says, "And you and Remy are married?"

"Yes," I say happily, "We've been married almost a year."

"He... he really loves you," she says.

"Yes. And Scott loves you."

Jean licks her lips. "I'm not sure how to say this."

I tilt my head expectantly. "Go ahead. You saved my life, Jean, you can ask me whatever you want."

Jean blushes and says, "It's not... any of my business, but, is there... is there anything going on between... you and Logan?"

"I suppose it is your business, a little," I say. "I know you and Logan had-a connection. And yes. There is something going on between me and Logan and Remy."

"Between-oh," Jean says.

"Thank you for asking and not just speculating," I say.

"There wasn't anything between me and Logan," Jean says. "I would never cheat on Scott."

"I would never _cheat_ on Remy," I say. I'm not angry, but I do want to clarify. "We were together first, but we both agreed to open our relationship to include Logan."

"Oh, I mean, I didn't mean to say-that you would cheat-" Jean says. She's flustered, and from what I can tell of Jean Grey, she's not a woman who flusters easily.

"It's okay. I know it's kind of unusual. But, well, we have a lot in common. It works really well for us."

Jean looks at me skeptically. "I'm sorry. But-what do you have in common with those two?"

"For starters, we've all been fucked up by Stryker. And when-I kind of had to re-learn English two years ago, and since Logan was the only one here who spoke Japanese, I relied on him a lot for communication. And I was the one who helped put together his memories. We... well, I suppose it's more about complementing each other. We balance each other out very well."

"And they don't-they don't get jealous?"

"Of who?"

"Each other?"

"No," I say. "They love each other. They go back a long time. Logan sometimes gets jealous of my ex-girlfriend, I think, but it's not a big deal. And Remy's too cocky to be jealous of anyone."

"You make it sound so simple," Jean marvels.

I shrug. "It kind of is. I mean, we have disagreements sometimes, of course, but honestly, I have fewer fights between the three of us than I did in my last few relationships, by far."

"And-you're happy?"

"Delighted," I say, beaming. "Hey. Look. I try not to read minds without permission-but I'm pretty sure Scott thinks that Logan and Remy are taking advantage of me, or something. But you can tell him that they're not. I promise."

Jean smiles back. "All right. I'm glad to hear it."

"I'm sure you already know this, but-well, Scott helped me learn how to control my telepathy, so, I spent a lot of time accidentally reading his mind. And... and he loves you _so _much, Jean. So much. I just-wanted to tell you."

"Thanks, Nori," Jean says. "I-I know he does." We pause for a moment, and she says, "What were you playing? When I came in?"

"Hmm? Oh, some Springsteen. Love him."

She smiles. "Scott likes him, too."

"I mean... everyone should. People always talk about how his music is blue collar rock, but he sings about themes of loneliness and love that are universal."

"Would you mind playing something for me?"

"I would love to," I say. I consider for a moment. I'd actually been playing "I'm on Fire" when Jean had knocked, but I decide against playing that. "The kids sang this at graduation last year," I say, and I launch into "The Rising."

_Can't see nothin' in front of me_

_Can't see nothin' coming up behind_

_I make my way through this darkness_

_I can't feel nothing but this chain that binds me_

_Lost track of how far I've gone_

_How far I've gone, how high I've climbed_

_On my back's a sixty pound stone_

_On my shoulder a half mile line_

_Come on up for the rising_

_Come on up, lay your hands in mine_

She claps when I finish. "You're good!" she says. "I mean, I guess you must be, since it was your job and all."

I shrug. "There are plenty of people who make their living from music who aren't actually any good at it."

"Fair point," she says with a smile. "I guess I'd better get going. Thanks for the song. And thanks for your honesty."

"Thanks for asking," I say. "Come by any time. I'm always happy to have an audience."

"I'd like that," she says, heads out into the hallway.

I keep playing for myself. Before too long, Logan and Remy turn up. They seem calmer, and they've showered. I smile at them.

Logan sniffs. "Smells like blood. Everything okay?"

I hold out my hands.

"Jesus, darlin', how long have you been playing?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Couple hours, on and off. This new skin isn't used to guitar playing."

"I thought you got new strings."

I laugh. "I did, but I'm still pressing both my fingers against thin pieces of metal. I just have to get some calluses built back up and then I can play without breaking the skin."

"Don't it hurt?" he asks.

"Yeah," I say with a shrug. "But it's worth it." I consider for a moment, and say, "Shit, Logan, if you played guitar this would happen to you every time, huh?"

One of the most incongruous things about Logan is how soft his skin actually is. He's hairy as fuck, which masks most of it, but his hands are soft as butter. Any kind of callus he would ever build up simply heals away.

He smiles. "I'll leave that to you, darlin'." He comes closer and takes my hands. "Why don't you stop for the day, give your hands a break?"

I quirk my lips. "One more song, and then I'll stop."

"All right."

I play and sing,

_Once I thought I knew_

_Everything I needed to know about you_

_Your sweet whisper, your tender touch_

_But I didn't really know that much_

_Joke's on me, it's gonna be okay_

_If I can just get through this lonesome day_

_Hell's brewin', dark sun's on the rise_

_This storm'll blow through by and by_

_House is on fire, viper's in the grass_

_A little revenge and this too shall pass_

_This too shall pass, I'm gonna pray_

_Right now all I got's this lonesome day_

_It's all right, it's all right, it's all right_

It's such a poetic song, and I love the big, hard musical counterpoint to the lyrics. I've been listening to _The Rising_, his post-9/11 album, a lot this past week. It puts my own life in perspective. Maybe I did die, but I came back. There are plenty of people who can't say the same.

Remy says, "Were you lonesome without us, _cher_?"

"Terribly," I say, melodramatically. I put the guitar away and rub ointment on my healing tattoo and my tattered fingers. I sit up on top of my desk and ask, "How was the Danger Room?"

"Oh, the usual," Remy says nonchalantly. "Saved all the women and children, took care of all the bad guys."

"My heroes," I say, grinning at them.

Logan says, sniffing the air, "What'd Jean come see you about?" It's kind of weird how he does that. It's like he's from _CSI_ or something.

"Oh, she wanted to ask if I was cheating on my husband."

The look on Logan's face makes me giggle.

"Wait, _are_ you cheating on your husband?" Remy asks.

"Only under supervision," I say.

"Well, that's all right, then."

"What'd you tell Jeannie?" Logan asks.

"I told her I would never cheat on my husband, but that yes, we were both involved with you. And I told her to tell Scott to stop looking at me like I'm in a Lifetime Original Movie."

Remy grins, but Logan looks unhappy, and I say, "Look, _anata_, I know you didn't want to tell people or whatever, but we all live in the same house. People aren't stupid, and they know _something's_ going on between the three of us. And the details they make up are much sketchier than what's actually happening. I mean, I don't think we need to share in-depth, but why shouldn't we tell the truth if people-if adults-ask? I'm not ashamed."

He shrugs. "I don't care what people think."

"Bullshit, Logan, you do," I say. Something clicks. "Is it-did you want-Jean?"

"What? No!" he says, and he's so surprised and outraged that I believe him without using my telepathy. He makes an adorable face of intense concentration while he considers his words and finally says, "Look... I love... both of you. I don't want Jean, or anyone else. But I don't want-you and Remy have a good thing going. I don't want people to think I'm wrecking it. People won't understand."

I roll my eyes. "People won't understand if you don't tell them anything, no. If you just glower and act like you have something to hide, people will assume the worst."

He says nothing, and I continue, "Look, Logan, like it or not... you live here now. With us. It's weird for all three of us, to have a home, to commit to staying in one place. But this is it. This is the place. Stop acting like you're just passing through, and trust your teammates. Trust us."

"I do trust you," he says.

"Good," I say, smiling at him.

"Nori's right, Logan," Remy says. "You're stuck with us now."

He grins. "Well. Then I'd better make the most of it, huh?"

I hop off the desk and climb up on Logan's lap. "Hmm," I say. "What are you going to do with us?"

"I could think of a few things." He kisses me, hard.

"Mmph," I say. "Maybe we should take this upstairs before I have to sneak out into the hallway wearing Remy's sweater again."

Logan's breath speeds up at the memory. "Maybe I want you in Remy's sweater."

"I don't want her in anything at all," Remy murmurs.

"Upstairs," I insist. I jump off Logan's lap and head for the door. They follow quickly behind me. I like where this is going. Since I came back, they've been very sweet and gentle with me in bed. Which is nice, of course, but honestly, I like it when they're rough with , I mean, they're not going to break me or anything. Upstairs, I sit on the bed and look up at Remy and Logan.

"You want to play, pet?" Remy asks.

"Yes, please."

Logan smiles. "We bought you a present today, pet."

"What? When?"

"We're efficient," Remy says.

Logan opens a drawer and hands me a plastic bag. "Why don't you take off all this," he says, gesturing at my body, "And put on your new present?"

I open the bag and find a pale pink dog collar. I blush. Remy says, "Look, she likes it."

"I don't care if she likes it or not," Logan says. "She'll wear it."

Still blushing, I pull my dress over my head. I slip out of my shoes and my leggings. Finally, I take off my underwear-if only to protect my bra straps from Logan's claws. Then I try to put the collar on. It's a little hard to adjust it on my own neck. I'm breathing hard and I look up at them. Remy steps closer and runs his hand along the collar. Then he bends down to kiss me. "Very nice, pet," he says.

"Thank you," I say.

Logan joins us. He looks at me and tightens the collar one notch. I let out a little whimpery sound. He slides a finger between the collar and my throat. "Not too tight, is it, pet?"

"No," I say.

He bends down and kisses me, possessively. I jump up and wrap my legs around him, kissing back. He holds me for a minute before putting me down on the bed. I look up at him eagerly and he smiles.

"You're ours," he says.

"I know."

He gives me a predatory smile before opening the bottom drawer, where we keep our toys. He lets me see the cuffs, the rope. "Kneel, pet," he orders, and I do. Submissively, I let him put the cuffs on my wrists and ankles. He connects my hands behind my back, and then runs a length of rope between my ankles and my wrists. I have a tiny bit of wriggle room, but basically, I'm stuck on my knees with my hands behind my back. "One more thing," he says, and he ties a scarf over my mouth.

"Mmph," I say, looking up at him. I'm not sure what he wants from me. There's not much I _can_ do right now.

He slips a finger between my legs. I'm already embarrassed and excited and wet. He puts a vibrating egg up inside me and turns it on. I moan behind the scarf.

Logan nods and then joins Remy in front of me. They begin to kiss each other fiercely. I sigh and settle back to watch, since there's not much else I can do. Then Logan puts out a claw and slices Remy's shirt off. Remy moans and undoes his belt, sliding his pants to the ground before Logan can get to them. Honestly, it is super hot when Logan does that, but does he think clothing grows on trees? It does not.

But I forget all that when Logan goes back to our drawer and comes back with lube. He squeezes some into a palm and gently rubs it into Remy's ass. Then he puts some on a finger and slowly slides it in. Remy moans and jerks back up against his finger. I watch, wide-eyed, as Logan slowly but firmly slides his finger in. He pulls it out and fucks him with one finger, then adds a second.

"_Mon dieu, _Logan, feels s'good," Remy spits out.

"Yeah? You want more?"

"Yesss," Remy says.

Logan smiles. He takes his time unbuttoning his shirt and sliding out of his pants. Logan is a goddamn tease. When he's naked, he lubes his cock and pushes Remy over to the bed. He bends forward over it. His head ends up close to my knees, but I can't reach out to touch him or do anything. He reaches a hand up and teases my pussy. I glance down and watch as Logan thrusts into Remy.

"Oh, God, that's good," Logan says. Remy gives a wordless moan. I'm digging my nails into the palms of my hands in frustration. Remy's grinding his hard cock against the bed, and Logan reaches forward to grab it. When Logan grunts and comes in Remy, Remy and I are both nearly frantic.

"Mmph," I say.

Logan smiles. He comes behind me and undoes the rope. Then he repositions me, on the bed with my wrists tied to the bedpost. I look up at him anxiously. "Good girl," he says soothingly. He runs his hands over my breasts and I squirm. He kneels next to me. Remy quickly cleans himself off and rolls on a condom. He takes the vibrator out of me and then fucks me. He's not gentle. I wrap my legs around him and thrust up against him. I've waited so long for this. I'm still gagged, and I whimper questioningly.

"You can come, pet," Remy says, "Whenever you want." He runs a hand under my collar.

I focus my empathy on both of them as I shiver out an intense orgasm and lie back weakly, my legs still around Remy. He moans and follows suit. He lies next to me and sighs, stroking my stomach. Insatiable Logan starts teasing my clit. He's already hard again. I whimper, and he says, "You all right, pet?"

I nod, and he gets back to his task. I'm more than ready when he slips his cock in me. Logan fucks differently from Remy. He's, well, more animal. Not in a bad way. It's just more... raw, more urgent. Remy lies on his side next to us and licks and sucks at my throat and earlobe. Logan growls and whispers, "Come, pet." I obey, and my empathy and my writhing trigger his own orgasm. Panting, we lie together. Remy undoes my gag and cuffs and I snuggle against Logan, putting my arms around him.

"That was really, really, hot," I say, articulately.

He strokes my hair. "Love you, darlin'," he murmurs.

"Love you too."

Remy reaches out for my left wrist. He carefully peels off the bandage over my fresh tattoo and checks it. He puts on a thin layer of ointment and rebandages it.

"Thanks, love," I say.

He kisses my hand. "Any time, _cher_." Then he gently unbuckles my collar and puts it back in the drawer. He puts an arm over my shoulder and we lie together.

"How you doin' there, Remy?" Logan asks.

"Just fine," he says.

Despite being a fairly sexually adventurous lady, I don't know a lot about anal sex. I've never seen Remy and Logan do it before, though I think they might have done it a few times when I wasn't around.

"Does it hurt?" I ask.

"Little bit," Remy says. "But in a good way. You know."

"Hmm," I say.

"Don't get jealous, _cher_," Remy says affably. "Variety's the spice of life."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of being jealous. As long as I get to watch."

"You like watching, eh, _cher_?"

"Yes," I say, blushing again.

"Good," he says, kissing my shoulder.

Remy muses, "So, Logan, you're saying you don't think something like this would ever be a possibility for Jean and Scott?"

Logan bursts out laughing.

"You never know," I say. "Lots of people you wouldn't expect are into swinging and stuff."

"Scott Summers is not," Logan says, definitively.

"Well. His loss," I say. He laughs and strokes my hair.

"Don't you go trying to persuade him, _cher_," Remy says. "This is a big bed, but it ain't that big."

"He's not my type anyway," I say. Jean is, but I don't say so.

"You have good taste, darlin'," Logan says. We lazily lie nestled together in a post-sex daze and gossip until dinnertime. All in all, I'm feeling quite satisfied with my life.

UNSOLICITED NOTE ABOUT MUSIC: I don't necessarily share all of Nori's opinions about music, but I do have to say that _The Rising_ is a fantastic album, and if you only know Bruce Springsteen for "Born in the USA," you should check it out. I mean, you know, if you want. No big deal.

I also agree with Nori that "Thunder Road" is Springsteen's best song, but I think that is less a matter of opinion and more of incontrovertible fact.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 (Remy)

Even though I know it's for good reason, I still grimace when the alarm goes off at 7am. Nori looks at me, sleepy but cheerful, and says, "It's Sunday, isn't it?"

"_Oui_," I say. "But we need to get up. I have a surprise for you."

"Oh?" she asks, tilting her head inquisitively.

"Yup," I say. She glances at me, then at Logan, intrigued but wary. Given that yesterday we'd presented her with a collar, I'm not surprised she's feeling a little conflicted.

"Get dressed," I say.

"Dressed in what?"

"Whatever you want, _cher_. Sensible shoes."

"All of my shoes are sensible," she says, and then considers. "Well, almost all of them." She looks at us again.

I tap my temple and give a mock-glare. "No snooping! You'll ruin your surprise."

"I wouldn't dream of it," she says. "Do I have time to shower?"

"Yes, but quickly."

She quirks her mouth. Left to her own devices, Nori is in and out of the shower in five minutes tops. "So, I don't have time to shower _with you_, is what you're saying?"

"Well, yes," I admit reluctantly. "Go!"

She smiles and takes a quick shower. She pulls on black leggings, a purple sweater dress, and sensible black flats; applies eye makeup, and is ready to go in under ten minutes. She's blow-drying her hair when I step out of the shower and start getting dressed. Logan's disappeared.

Yesterday, I'd tried my hardest to persuade Logan to come with us, but he'd refused.

"Bub, you know I don't go in for that kind of thing," he'd said, shaking his head.

"But it would mean so much to Nori."

"She'll understand."

It's true; she would understand. And I wasn't going to complain about having some alone time with her.

Clean and dressed, I say, "Hey, sweet girl, let's get some breakfast."

She smiles and takes my hand. She drinks her tea and eats her oatmeal and keeps up a ridiculous running commentary of guesses about what her surprise is.

"Is it a pony?"

"_Cher_, there are ponies out in the school stable right now and you have never even ridden one."

"That is because those are _horses_, not _ponies_. Ponies are smaller and cuter. Horses are big and scary."

I snort. There are six horses in Xavier's stables, all rescued from other stables or farms where they were being mistreated. They're all old, tired, slow, and not at all scary.

"Fine," she says. "Not a pony. Is it... a kitten?"

"Stop guessing animals, _cherie_."

"Hmm," she says. "But maybe that just means I'm getting close. _Is it a penguin_?"

I roll my eyes in response. She studies my face, but I'm an excellent liar.

"Let's go, _cher_."

"All right," she says agreeably. "Let me grab my purse."

"It's already in the car. Everything you need is in the car."

"Even-"

"_Everything_."

"All right," she says. I bend down and kiss her.

"Trust me, _ma mie_."

"I do trust you." And she does, even though I was raised to be a con artist, and she knows it. (I'm not conning her, of course, but if I wanted to, I'm pretty sure I could.) So we put on our coats and head out to the garage. Once she's ensconced in the passenger seat, I reach in my pocket and pull out a black silk scarf.

"Put this on," I say.

She looks at it. "On where?"

"Over your eyes, _cher_. Don't want you to ruin the surprise."

She raises an eyebrow at me dubiously, but obligingly ties it over her eyes. I wave a hand in front of her face. She doesn't react.

I rub her knee reassuringly. "You're fine, _cher_."

"I know."

I start the car and put in one of the CDs I'd brought. She smiles when Bruce Springsteen starts to play. We've been listening to a lot of Springsteen the past week, and why not? He's a man who knows something about redemption.

After about ten minutes, she asks, "How long will this take?"

"Somewhere between an hour and a day." She shakes her foot, a little anxiously. I sigh and rub her knee. "Not a day, I promise."

Maybe I'd miscalculated. I just wanted to give her a little surprise, not a panic attack. After another twenty minutes, I pull off into a rest stop.

"We're here?" she asks, head tilted curiously.

"Nope. Just wanted to stop and give you a little present."

I get out and open the trunk. I come back with a wrapped box. "Here," I say, carefully handing it to her.

She runs her fingers over it. "Can I take off the blindfold?"

"No, you won't need to see it."

She purses her lips and slides a fingernail under the wrapping paper. She neatly peels it off all in one piece and folds the paper into quarters. Then she feels the box for an opening and pulls it open. She reaches in cautiously and smiles when she touches something soft and fuzzy. She studies it with her fingers and laughs aloud. "You _did_ get me a penguin!"

I lean forward and kiss her cheek. "And we won't have to worry about feeding it."

She beams. She holds it on her lap and runs her hands over it. I can feel her anxiety dissipate. "I've never had a stuffed animal before," she says.

"What? Never?"

"No. My parents didn't really believe in toys."

"You are telling me that even when you were a little baby, you never had a stuffed animal?"

She bites her lip. "Maybe as a baby? I suppose even my parents wouldn't have objected to that. But I never remember having one."

"And then you never had some boyfriend give you a teddy bear?"

"No."

That surprises me. I'd known her parents were, well, crazy, but I'd've imagined a girl as sweet as Nori would have been showered in stuffed animals.

"Well," I say, after a long silence, "I hope you like it."

"I love it," she says. "I'll probably like it even more when I can _see_ it."

I laugh. "Soon enough, _cher_." It's another hour before we pull into the parking lot for the New York the car is stopped, she tilts her head toward me inquisitively. I reach over and untie her blindfold. She blinks, readjusting to the light. I kiss her and she closes her eyes again.

She looks down at her black and white plush penguin, and then out the window. She smiles. "The aquarium? Remy, you're the cutest." There's something hesitant in her empathy, but I push it aside.

"The penguin feeding is at 10:30," I say.

We go inside. I can see why Logan didn't want to come-even my nose has no trouble picking out a weird, fishy-chemical smell. I don't think I've ever been to an aquarium before, but looking around, I don't think this is a very good one. It's not very big, and it doesn't seem... clean. But Nori smiles at me brightly and leads me to the penguin exhibit. We're there in plenty of time, and she stands up close to the display and coos at the penguins. I stand behind her and put my arms around her.

"Oh, my God, they're so cute!"

Then an aquarium employee comes out and tells us a little bit about the penguins. These, we learn, are black-footed penguins. We watch them scramble for fish. I frown when I realize Nori's blocked off her empathy. She'd seemed so happy before, watching them.

"_Cher_? You all right?"

She turns against my chest. "I'm sorry, Remy. It was really, really sweet of you to take me here. But I just-" she breaks off.

I'm an idiot. Of course Nori wouldn't want to see penguins here, behind glass. She's empathizing with the penguins. She'd wanted to see free penguins, in the wild, and this was no substitute. That was why Logan hadn't wanted to come either, I suppose.

"I'm sorry, _cher_. Let's get out of here."

"I'm sorry," she says. "Could we?"

"Of course," I say. I put my arm around her shoulders and steer her through a crowd of parents with small children and strollers.

Outside, she sighs and takes in a breath of fresh, clean air. "I'm so sorry, Remy," she says. "I know you just wanted to do something nice, but I'm just... too crazy for that."

"No, _cher_, no," I say. "I should have known better. And I didn't... didn't think it would be like that. I never been to an aquarium before."

She sighs. "The New York one is kind of notoriously shitty. The one in Boston is okay. Not so depressing."

We go back and sit on the hood of the car. I pull out a pack of cigarettes and offer her one. She's mostly quit, but she'll take one on a bad day. I figure today might qualify, and she accepts with a crooked grin. We sit out and smoke.

I say, "Well, is there anything else you'd wanna do in the city? Since we're here?"

She smiles. "I'm sure I could think of a few things."

We're almost finished with our cigarettes when a familiar figure approaches us. "Hey, Logan!" Nori says, delighted.

I raise my eyebrows. Logan nods to us in greeting. "Thought you might like some company," he offers. "Everything okay?" he asks, noticing Nori's cigarette.

She shrugs. "The New York Aquarium blows, Logan. It's like the worst thing in the city."

I say, "On their website it looks very nice," and they both laugh.

"Let's go to Central Park," Nori suggests.

"Anything you want is fine with me, _cherie_."

"I know," she says. She glances at Logan, who nods.

"I'd rather go pretty much anywhere than a building full of fish."

"Then it's settled," she says, hopping off the car. "Remy, where's my purse?"

I open the trunk and get it out for her. She turns to leave and I say, "The car's here, _cher_."

She shrugs. "You already paid to park for the whole day. Let's take the subway."

I roll my eyes. "_Cherie_, with what Xavier's paying us, we don't have to worry about paying for parking."

"Well, also, I kind of miss taking the subway. Is that weird?"

"Yes," I say, "It is. But we can take the subway if you want." Logan shrugs and nods.

"Good," she says. "There should be an F-train stop a few blocks from here, I think." She pulls out her phone and checks, then leads us onward. We have to change trains once, and it takes us the better part of an hour to get there, but Nori truly does seem to enjoy the trip. Finally, we emerge, and Nori holds hands with both of us as we walk around the park. It's still chilly out, but there's no snow, and the grass is green and vibrant. She leads us to a big, fancy garden that looks rather like the grounds at Xavier's. We sit on a bench overlooking a pretty pond.

"In the summer, there are always people out with little model boats. But not yet. And it's too late for ice skating. Right now the water's just for the ducks," she says happily. People are out and about, walking and jogging past us. No one gives us a second glance. After a while, Nori says, "Ready to move on?"

We nod, and she guides us down a gently winding path. It's a real pretty park, but it doesn't make me nearly as happy as it seems to make Nori. But that's fine; all I'd wanted to do today was make Nori smile, and I'd (eventually) succeeded.

For lunch, we get pizza. At the first greasy bite, Nori closes her eyes and says, "Being alive _rules_."

I smile at her. Nori'd had that attitude even before she died. You hear about people having near-death experiences and coming back with renewed vigor for life. Well, Nori already approached life with more openness and vigor than just about anyone else I'd ever known. The lesson was wasted on her.

"I completely agree," I say.

Logan watches us, his expression guarded. Nori looks at him with dancing eyes. "Logan, would you rather to go a zoo or an aquarium?"

He considers for a moment. "Aquarium, I guess."

She nods. "Yeah, me too." I'm relieved that I didn't try to take her to see penguins at the zoo, then. "Remy, would you rather eat pizza every day or never eat pizza again?"

"Hmm. Never again, I guess."

"What!"

"I'd hate it if I _had_ to eat any one thing every day," I say. "No matter what it was."

She purses her lips. "I suppose it might be one of those things that sounds awesome in theory, but is less so in practice."

"Just maybe," I say.

"But it sounds really awesome," she says, pensively. She keeps asking us increasingly-ridiculous hypothetical questions until we leave the restaurant. I'm still trying to decide if I'd rather have a single horn coming out of my forehead or webbed feet when we return to the park. We don't spend much longer there before getting back on the subway. On the train, a young woman with a guitar starts playing and passing around a hat. Nori smiles and gives her a few dollars.

After the woman leaves, I ask, "Did you ever do that, _cher_?"

"What, busk? Nah," she says. "If I were ever that hard up for money I could always find somebody looking for a violinist for a wedding or fancy party or some shit. Until you reach a certain level of popularity, anyway, classical violin is much more profitable than guitar. And I wasn't... I know some people do it for fun, not necessarily for money. But it didn't sound that fun for me. Like I'd rather play someplace stationary. You know."

"Some place like a private boarding school in Westchester?"

She laughs. "Yes, _exactly_."

Back at the aquarium parking lot, we find our car (and Logan's motorcycle) exactly as we'd left them.

"See you back at the mansion, _mon ami_," I say to Logan.

Nori quirks her lips. "Let's go to Harry's," she says.

"I like the way you think," Logan says, and I nod.

"All right, then, see you at Harry's."

Nori stands on tiptoe to kiss Logan. "Love you, Logan. Thanks for coming into the city with us."

"'Course, darlin'," he says. Then he turns and heads for his bike. Nori gets in our car and squeezes her plush penguin.

"You're so sweet, Remy," she says. "Thank you so much for this day."

I look at her sadly. "Sorry if I spooked you, _cher_. I thought..."

She cuts me off. "Remy, honestly, this was incredibly thoughtful of you. You remembered I like penguins. You wanted to take me to see some. And honestly, they were fucking adorable. It really, really was sweet of you to come here. And to give me this guy," she says, waving the stuffed penguin at me. "I love you. Okay? I love you. It's not your fault this aquarium is shitty."

I smile back at her. "Love you too, _cher_."

Eyes open, she ruffles through the other CDs I'd brought, all swiped from her desk. She grins and puts in Van Morrison. She sings along:

_And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush_

_And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush_

_Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?_

_Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?_

She's ridiculously sexy, and I tell her so.

She shakes her head. "Van Morrison is ridiculously sexy. I'm just snagging a little bit of his mojo for myself."

"Well. Whatever you're doing, it's working."

She smiles and keeps singing along. Harry's is mostly empty when we get there, though Logan's already at the bar with a half-empty beer (or half-full, as Nori would undoubtedly say). We join him and Harry brings us two more without being asked. Nori beams and thanks him. She chats with him for a moment, and then we take our beers and play some pool.

After a few rounds, Nori loses interest. "You guys play, and I'll watch," she says. "It's less complicated with two, anyway."

I shrug. "I like it just fine with three."

She smirks and goes to get us more drinks. She ends up talking to Harry for quite some time.

"Glad you came today," I say softly to Logan.

He shrugs, knocking the seven-ball cleanly into the pocket. "What else was I gonna do today?"

"Nothing so entertaining as watching ducks in a pond, I am certain," I reply. He laughs.

"Well, the company was decent, anyway," he says.

Nori comes back over with our drinks. After her first beer, she's already flushed and giggly. She says, "You guys should probably cut me off after this one."

I give her a mock-pout. "But _cher_, we wanted to get you drunk and take advantage of you."

"Lord," she says, laughing. "What is it you have in mind that I won't do sober?"

Logan and I glance at each other. "Well, we'll have to think on that one, _cher._"

She rolls her eyes at us and takes a long drink. She watches us play, occasionally using her telekinesis to play little jokes on us-holding a ball just on the edge of a pocket for far too long before eventually letting it in.

"_Cher_, that is very unsportsmanlike conduct," I say.

"First of all," she says, jabbing her finger in the air to make a point, "This isn't a sport. Second of all, I'm not a sportsman. Third of all, I'm only doing it to ones that would have gone in _anyway_."

I laugh and kiss her. She tastes like vanilla lip balm and cheap beer, and I adore it. Pleased, she kisses me back. Then she goes back up to the bar and comes back with a red plastic basket full of fried cheese. We eat them and lick grease and salt off each other's fingers.

"Maybe we'd better get back to the mansion," she says. "If I don't eat a vegetable soon I might die."

"They have vegetables here, don't they?" I ask.

"They have fried jalapeno peppers here," she says, shaking her head.

"All right," I say. "After this game."

She smiles and perches on a bar stool, benevolently watching over us. Back at the mansion, we slip into the staff kitchen and supplement our late dinner of fried cheese with baby carrots and leftover spaghetti. After we eat, Nori says, "Oh! I forgot my penguin in the car. I'll go get it."

"Bring the blindfold in too, _cher_," I say. "You never know when it might come in handy."

She gives me an indignant look, but when she resurfaces in our bedroom she's holding her penguin, which has the strip of black silk tied around its little face. I laugh when I see it. Gravely, she says, "I didn't want him to see anything that might traumatize him." She carefully places the penguin on the bedside table and comes to sit on my lap.

"I don't know, _cher_, the penguin might want to watch."

"No, Remy. He's my penguin and I say he's not a voyeur."

"You two are strange," Logan says, from his perch on the couch.

"Logan, you've fought in two World Wars and you call yourself Wolverine. Don't you tell me about strange," Nori says, but her voice is gentle.

He shrugs. "Fair enough."

Nori smiles and climbs down off my lap. I laugh when she changes into her blue penguin pajamas.

"Ready for bed, _cherie_?" I ask.

"Soon," she says. I kiss her, and Logan comes over to join us on the bed. Before long, she's out of the penguin pajamas. We gently make love, still a little sore from yesterday. We all put our pajamas on (or back on, in Nori's case), and curl up together.

"What a good day," Nori says sleepily, and I can't disagree.

"Tomorrow will be a good day too, _cher_," I say.

THE END

* * *

><p>END NOTES:<p>

Yes, this last chapter was totally just fluff. I thought they were entitled to it after so much ~*drama.*~

Thank you for reading my weird AU about my super twee original character! Double thank you if you left a review, and a gold start to Galatic Cannibalism for being such an awesome & consistent reviewer :)

I think perhaps I am done writing about these three for now. You know, ~200,000 words later (between the three stories... seriously, WTF). But who knows? See you around the internet, space cowboys.


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